Soil. Sun. Defiance. Desire.

In the 1990s, American interest in Cuban cigars had reached historic levels—and Scott Anthony was in the middle of it. The head of an underground Cuban cigar empire, Scott was born into a world of scarce resources and few role models, where joining a street gang was easy and staying out of prison was hard.

Scott’s story is one of risk and reward, shadowy deals and sunlit beaches, meticulous craftsmanship and brazen criminality. In Smoke, Scott shares this story and how, through unyielding persistence, he defied borders, laws, and morality to bring a taste of forbidden luxury to those who craved it. Read about how a street kid from Chicago went from a life of crime to one of redemption, using ingenuity and determination to shape black market trade.

Welcome to smoke-filled rooms where history, crime, and hedonism collide. Smoke is a memoir you won’t want to miss.