As a part of the restoration process for their El Reloj Cigar Factory in Tampa, J.C. Newman had to clear out almost 70 years' worth of items from the building. During this process, they uncovered some hidden gems, one of which was a trap door from the 1930s with a secret staircase that went from the General Managers' office down into the basement. It was used to hide when the Tampa Mafia would come through looking for payroll cash. Another item was J.C.'s (Julius Caesar's) travel trunk that accompanied him on his voyage from Hungary to Cleveland in 1889. One of the most interesting discoveries was a box stash of 10-year-old Brick House cigars tucked away in the basement years ago to age and wait for a special occasion to arise. To celebrate their 125th year, they are going to release them to the public by way of TAA retailers and named Brick House Beginnings.
