- It doesn't matter where you come from, doesn't matter how much money you have, it doesn't matter what class you are, what race you are, whatever your background is, a cigar is a luxury that everybody can afford.

(bright upbeat music) The cigar industry started in Ybor City 135 years ago.

(upbeat music) They were trying to bring big industries into the city, beef it up so that way it would be an economic powerhouse to the south.

And for Tampa, they thought their best hope was tobacco because the Tampa Chamber of Commerce petitioned these two Spanish and Cuban businessmen, Ignacio Haya and Vicente Martinez Ybor to come here and build cigar factories.

They offered them huge incentives, it worked.

During its peak, Tampa had between 150 and 200 large-scale production cigar factories.

All the cigars made out of Tampa were 100% wrapper, binder and filler Cuban tobacco, that's what made Tampa one of a kind, that's what made Ybor City, Cigar City USA, until the 1960s when the Cuban Embargo, of course, went into effect and you couldn't get any more Cuban tobacco.

(upbeat music) We're making cigars the same way they would've a hundred years ago.

One of a kind, very unique and a very unique experience.

For me it's a privilege, you know, make cigar here in United States, here in the J.C. Newman cigar factory which is the last cigar factory in the whole country.

So let me tell you guys the first step in the hand rolling process when you make premium cigar.

(upbeat music) When you make a cigarette you got a filler, binder and wrapper.

The filler is the blend that you wanna see inside and you cover with the binder and you put inside the press.

The last step is the wrapper.

This blend, we use a three different type of tobacco from Nicaragua, and we use a double binder for the cigar.

(upbeat music) Depending on the size of the cigar, on the gauge is the tie inside the press.

(upbeat music) Clearly, how looks the cigar already present this nice with a nice shape and the cigar is ready to put the wrapper on it.

The wrapper is the specific leaves that the fermentation process is different completely because will be the nice leaves would be outside the cigar.

Roller can make about 100-120 cigar a day.

Machine cigar is about 3000, 4,000 cigar a day.

(upbeat music) - Ybor City is much different now.

It's not the same old Latin vibe that had back in the 1920s and 30s' is now its own unique thing.

Partly it caters to tourists, but partly it caters to society, which wants something fun to do.

(upbeat music) Our hopes is that here at J.C. Newman Cigar Company we can continue to make cigars forever.

Make more cigars, make better cigars.

We want people to come here and see this is the industry that built Tampa and Ybor City.

We're honoring the legacy of all those people who have come before us.

You know, we're honoring the people who started at Ybor City this Tampa that will continue forever.

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