Books by Scott Anthony

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.

The gangs weren’t made up of hardened men. They were made up of boys.

Some were tough; some weren’t. Some would become dangerous; others would vanish. At the time, no one knew the outcome. We were just trying to survive homes that felt worse than the street. We were just living the moment. We couldn’t see the future.

Scott Anthony tried to pretend that his past didn’t exist. The violence, death, drugs, alcohol, all were pieces of a reality locked away.

But to deny the past is to deny your identity. Scott stopped running and realized, for the first time, that his drive and determination are the result of these trials and tribulations.

In Street Raised, Scott shares the extraordinary story of a childhood spent on the streets. It’s a story about reflection and acceptance, close calls and grim consequences. It’s about honor and the understanding that the past you try to bury never truly leaves you.