Monday, March 09 2009
Albuquerque, NM — On Friday, March 6, 2009, Governor Bill Richardson, Albuquerque Mayor Martin Chavez and a host of luminaries from New Mexico came together to celebrate the grand opening of the nation's first Club La Gloria Cubana® cigar lounge at Monte's Pueblo Pipe.
The event raised more than $16,000 for the New Mexico branch of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation whose mission is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications.
Hank Andrews (Former Commander of Kirtland Air Force base); Michael Cerletti (Secretary of Tourism for the State of New Mexico) and Brian Colon, (Chairman of the Democratic National Committee for the State of Mexico), were among the additional VIPs in attendance. Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, the world-renowned cigar master of La Gloria Cubana cigars was also on hand and was joined by Leo Peraza, La Gloria Cubana's lead cigar roller who has been handcrafting cigars for more than 50 years.
For the silent auction, General Cigar, the parent company of critically-acclaimed La Gloria Cubana cigars, contributed a coveted, Serie R Limitada® Retrospectivo collection featuring 100 rare, handcrafted cigars presented in an exquisite, custom-designed humidor. The excitement of the live auction led General Cigar executives to include a retired 2005 Serie R Limitada humidor, made of an exotic Frise wood and protecting 30 highly-touted Serie R Limitada cigars. Together, the humidors and cigars contained within fetched $8,200, thanks to Scott Bushey, Gregory Trost and Ryan Strong Fritz, three Albuquerque-area cigar aficionados who captured the winning bid. Monetary contributions from General Cigar and Monte's Pueblo Pipe added to the total amount raised during the grand opening.
Michael Giannini, director of marketing for La Gloria Cubana cigars commented, “It was a pleasure to work with Larry Monte to support the opening of our first Club La Gloria Cubana cigar lounge. We were thrilled that the Honorable Governor Bill Richardson attended the launch to show his continued support for the premium cigar industry. This event had all the makings of a great success and paved the way for many more exciting openings of future Club La Gloria Cubana lounges.â€
Larry Monte, proprietor of Monte's Pueblo Pipe noted, “I can think of no other company to have partnered with than General Cigar. My long-standing relationship with them, coupled with their commitment to delivering cigars of the highest quality and their unwavering retail support made them the only choice when it came to branding my cigar lounge. I couldn't be more pleased with my decision.â€
About Club La Gloria Cubana
Club La Gloria Cubana is the first of its kind in New Mexico. The 2,700 square foot cigar lounge is situated on two floors of a historic, 65-year old building. The interior has been refurbished to maintain the integrity of old Southwestern style, while giving a nod to Dominican architecture, with dark wooden accents. Boasting 108 private cigar lockers made of imported Spanish cedar and wired for the 21st century, Club La Gloria will cater to cigar aficionados and business people who recognize the opportunity to network with VIPs who hail from all over the state of New Mexico.
