our founders

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It started with a passion for cigars, plain & simple. 

The saying “Choose a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life” haunted us through decades and our careers. We loved our jobs, but the answer to the question “What would you do for a living if you could do anything?” was always “I’d open a cigar lounge”. No matter what we were doing, one of the best parts of the day was always that magical time when you sit down and relax with a quality cigar.  And the magic of the cigar smoking experience wasn’t just about tobacco. It was about the friendships, the camaraderie, and the social act of enjoying a good cigar together that made it our passion. 

We come from diverse backgrounds: military, automotive, oil, and gas (Jaime), and medical equipment and services (DeGenaro). Our cigar friends also come from a variety of backgrounds. What brings us all together is the love of simply sitting around a fireplace in the winter or outside in the summer smoking cigars, visiting, and solving the world’s problems. Our diverse backgrounds contribute to the success of the business.

Over the last ten years, our cigar nights increasingly featured conversations about how we’d structure the ideal place to smoke a cigar. It had to be as comfortable as any den or family room at a friend’s home. It had to be warm and inviting. We wanted plenty of larger spaces for groups to congregate and smaller, more intimate spaces for quiet computer work or reading. There had to be a porch,  outdoor space for pleasant summer evenings, and brisk fall Saturday afternoons. The crowd needed to be a carefully curated group of friends and strangers brought together by a passion for cigars. 

In the Summer of July 2022, Steve Danchise joined the ownership team, bringing 13 years of retail experience to Sigaro. Danchise is a proud local from Campbell, OH, and is extremely engaged in the cigar industry. Steve helps curate the humidor and set up events throughout the year. 

A few short months after Danchise came aboard, he brought his good (and recently retired) friend Tony Poiles in from Louisville, KY, to run operations at Sigaro. Tony has a passion for cigars; his collection rivals most store humidors. The only thing bigger than Tony's cigar collection is his love for people and this amazing industry. Tony has formed a new amazing team at Sigaro that includes Anthony, Stephanie, and Dawson. Sigaro would not be what it is today without the amazing work of these four individuals.