It was a red-carpet affair at the Arthur Avenue Retail Market on Wednesday as dozens crowded the street. In true, old-school Italian fashion, there were sharp suits and fedoras, baggy slacks paired with short-sleeved button-down shirts, lots of swearing and plenty of friendly slaps on the face and kisses on the cheek.
And all were there to celebrate the launch of Bronx native, actor Calogero Lorenzo “Chazz” Palminteri’s new “Bronx Tale” cigar.
“To dedicate a cigar to my grandfather, Calogero, he came to this country with nothing and made a life for himself,” Palminteri, the writer and star of the critically-acclaimed movie “A Bronx Tale” (1993), told the Bronx Times.
The movie was adapted from Palminteri’s autobiographical 1989 play by the same name and served as Robert DeNiro’s directorial debut.
Palminteri’s late, cigar-smoking grandfather —whom he is named after — immigrated to the U.S. from Siciliy in 1910 in search of a more prosperous life.
“I thought we could dedicate this cigar to all the immigrants who came to this country and made a life for themselves – it’s a cigar for them,” Palminteri added.
“A Bronx Tale” is the story of a young boy growing up in the Belmont neighborhood of the Bronx during the late 1950s through 1960s when organized crime ruled the city. In it, the main character, “Calogero,” experiences the typical throes of coming of age while simultaneously navigating a life where making the wrong move could get him killed.
This year marks the film’s 30th anniversary and with it, the launch of an eponymous cigar in partnership with Epic Cigars and La Casa Grande cigar shop inside the Arthur Avenue Retail Market.
“It’s an 18-year aged tobacco, it’s aged well, I have the best makers in the business making these cigars,” said Paul DiSilvio, owner of La Casa Grande, about the “Bronx Tale” cigar.
The cigar makers DiSilvio speaks of are the workers at La Casa Grande. All of them are from the province of Tamboril in Santiago, Dominican Republic, hailed as the world capital of cigars and combined, total more than 200 years of experience. Much like Genaro Polcanco, 66, who was only eight years old when his father began teaching him how to roll cigars.
“This is my passion, this was taught to me by my grandfather and my father,” Polcano said.
As is the case with all the workers at La Casa Grande — who were taught by their fathers and their fathers before them. According to a 2022 Smoke Inn Cigars article, the Dominican Republic is the world’s largest producer of cigars, accounting for nearly half of the world’s distribution.
At Thursday night’s event, there were other Hollywood notables in tow such as comedian Vic Dibitetto and Martin Kove, most recognized for his role as “John Kreese” in the 1984 film, “The Karate Kid.”
“I’m a big advocate of cigars, I just think good cigars is a very elegant way to spend your time,” said Kove, who is currently working on a movie about the first female wrestler, Mildred Brook, called, “The Queen of the Ring.”
Tickets to the red-carpet event were $275 a pop and included a never-ending flow of wine, classic Italian dishes, a whole roast pig spinning on a spit, coffee, dessert, a box of exclusive “Bronx Tale” cigars and an autograph and photo-op with Palminteri, as well as the ability to hob-knob with other VIPs.
“It was great, met a lot of people, saw a lot of stars,” said Brenda Way who was at the event with her husband and purchased the tickets as a Father’s Day gift for him.
Currently, the “Bronx Tale” cigars are only available to retailers and in July, Epic Cigars and La Casa Grande will be participating at the Premium Cigar Association expo in Las Vegas where they will be distributing 1,000 boxes, according to Arthur Berberian, presdient of Zander-Greg Inc., tobacco and cigar wholesaler and distributor for Epic Cigars.
There is also a rumor of a “Bronx Tale” wine in the works, but you didn’t hear it here, so keep your mouth shut.
This article was updated on July 2 at 2:35 p.m.
Reach ET Rodriguez at etrodriguez317@gmail.com. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
