A little bit of Cigar History: La Palina to CBS

[El Presidente]

 

La Palina’s story begins in 1896, when Samuel “Sam” Paley, a Ukrainian immigrant living in Chicago, opened a small cigar factory called the Congress Cigar Company. His first cigar brand was La Palina, named in honor of his wife Goldie Drell Paley, with her image featured prominently on the bands and packaging. At its peak, Congress Cigar was producing up to a million cigars per day, making it one of the city’s prominent cigar makers.

In the early 1900s, Sam’s son William S. Paley joined the family business and took on advertising for the cigar brand. One of his promotional strategies was sponsoring a radio program called “The La Palina Hour” on station WIP in Philadelphia.

This experience sparked William’s interest in broadcasting. He began buying radio stations and, through early investments and expansions in the medium, became the majority owner of a small network originally known as the Columbia Phonographic Broadcasting System. That network would soon be renamed the Columbia Broadcasting System, better known by its iconic initials CBS, and grow into one of America’s major broadcast networks.

After Sam Paley retired in 1926, Congress Cigar Company faded and the La Palina line was sold and wound through various owners (including eventually being part of Altadis U.S.A.)

Then, in 2010, Sam’s grandson William “Bill” C. Paley reacquired the rights to the brand and revived La Palina Cigars as a luxury boutique cigar company.

[NYGuido]

Huh! This is pretty cool. I went to Temple University for my first graduate degree, and the library is named for Samuel Paley. Cool to see there is a cigar connection!

[Cigar Surgeon]

The La Palina Goldie and the La Palina Sam are two 'Mount Rushmore' releases in the New World category for me.

[Puros Y Vino]

I have a couple of La Palina clear Havanas from the 1940/50's era. Panetela sized. Interesting background on them.