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An Interview with Ernesto Perez-Carrillo
Owner, El Credito Cigar Co., makers of La Gloria Cubana, La Hoja Selecta, El Rico Habano and Dos Gonzales cigars.
Marvin R. Shanken
From the Print Edition:
James Woods, May/Jun 97
(continued from page 19)
Carrillo: He would visit the U.S. while he was in the Cuban senate, which he got elected to in 1954 and in '58.
CA: The senate in Cuba?
Carrillo: He represented Pinar del Río. In '59, he had to leave Cuba because he was being pursued. And he was here for about 10 years before he decided to start making cigars again.
CA: In 1959, he came to Miami, and what business did he go into?
Carrillo: He had a bar. He had a restaurant. You know, all kinds of different things.
CA: Was he allowed to take some money out of Cuba?
Carrillo: No.
CA: So he started with nothing when he came?
Carrillo: Nothing. Absolutely nothing. My father was the type of person that money meant nothing to him. He didn't have that much money in Cuba, and when he came over he didn't have any money. He never thought of abandoning the island; the only reason he did it was because he was arrested at different times [for being a member of the liberal party].
CA: So he came in '59 and he later opened the cigar factory El Credito. What year was that?
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