At the 2023 Total Product Expo (TPE) 2023, Amendola Family Cigar Company will launch the first installment of its new Amendola NYC Series, The West Side Story. The NYC is a series that will pay homage to the New York City roots of owners Jeffrey Amendola and Christopher Monaco.

The West Side Story will feature two different blends in the same box. One will be a Brazilian Arapiraca blend known as the Switch Blades. The other is a Mexican San Andres-wrapped blend known as Baseball Bats. These two blend names were inspired by the two gangs in the West Side Story film. Both blends use an Indonesian Sumatra binder over Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers. Each cigar is a 6 x 52 Torpedo.

In another interesting twist, the cigars are being made in New York City at the Martinez Cigar Factory located in Manhattan.

In a press release, Jeffrey Amendola commented, “In 2014 I met Jesus Martinez, at the time I was working to start my own factory in Durham, NC. I reached out to Jesus for advice and guidance. Martinez became monumental in making my dream a reality by introducing me to a cigar roller and gifting to me many tools of the trade that I needed to get my operation running. To this day I am still rolling cigars with chavetas, tuck cutters and cigar molds that Martinez gave me. Chris and I are honored to be producing this project with the whole Martinez Cigar Factory crew. Special thank you to Dave Rivera, (head of product development and marketing for Martinez Cigar Factory).”

Each box will feature ten Switch Blades and ten Baseball Bats cigars. Pricing is set at $14.00 MSRP per cigar of $280.00 per box.

At a glance, here is a look at The West Side Story blends:

Switch Blades

Wrapper: Brazilian Arapirac
Binder: Indoensian Sumatra
Fillers: Nicaraguan, Dominican
Country of Origin: United States
Factory: Martinez Cigar Factory
Torpedo: 6 x 52

Baseball Bats

Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
Binder: Indoensian Sumatra
Fillers: Nicaraguan, Dominican
Country of Origin: United States
Factory: Martinez Cigar Factory
Torpedo: 6 x 52

Photo Credits: Amendola Family Cigar Co.