JM Tobacco’s president, Anto Mahroukian, has announced the winner of its second IPCPR “Strike Gold” contest. The winner was Mark Tucci, who, along with his wife, Frances, owns Custom Blends, a York, Pennsylvania, tobacco retailer, franchiser, and distributor.
Mahroukian explains, “Prior to the show, we mailed custom JM Tobacco poker chips to
IPCPR and NATO members, and existing customers, inviting them to bring their chips to our booth. There, they could play blackjack against the ‘house’ (that’s us), continuing as long as they won consecutive hands. There were many multiple-hand winners, but Mark broke all these bridesmaids’ hearts with six straight winning hands.”
Tucci’s prize was a solid half-ounce gold American Eagle coin. A week before the show, when Mahroukian bought the coin, the New York spot price was $1,600 per troy once. At the time of writing this release (August 10), spot gold pricing had streaked to $1,800 an ounce. This gain was not lost on Tucci, a long-term “gold bug.”
The Tuccis have attended RTDA/IPCPR since they created Custom Blends in 1993. Their stores carry a full spectrum of tobacco products and accessories, except for mainstream cigarettes. It operates or fanchises 7 stores in Pennsylvania and Virginia, plus 4 retailers, in major U.S. cities. Custom Blends’ growth and success, in its unique niche, shows a stroke of gambler’s luck, plus Tucci’s business acumen. He states, “We didn’t rename our RYO/MYO tobaccos ‘pipe tobaccos’ overnight, like so many others. Now, the FDA is drafting tough new licensing requirements and fees on all these ‘new’ RYO/MYO tobacco suppliers. We are one of the remaining active suppliers of RYO/MYO you can count on one hand, since being “grandfathered” by the FDA this year.
Mahroukian states the Strike Gold contest provided a strong draw for attendees. “Many of them, win or lose, were delighted to just have a JM playing chip as a souvenir. The acceptance and excitement of the Strike Gold contest made it well worthwhile.”
Tucci sums up his experience, explaining, “Winning that coin made me realize the Universe was telling me something about my luck, so I went to the casino and started gambling. I lost all my money … but, not the Eagle.”
Photo caption: Custom Blends’ Mark Tucci, the winner of the half-ounce gold American Eagle coin, in JM Tobacco’s “Strike Gold” Blackjack contest (Tucci.jpg)
