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12 CIGAR HIGHLIGHTS

17 EDITORS’ NOTE

21 OUT OF THE HUMIDOR

27 THE GOOD LIFE GUIDE

28 TECH Kindle takes e-books to the next page.

31 STYLE Sweater vests swing for spring.

35 PLACES The Breakers—the best gets better.

36 WHEELS (STS revives the Cadillac glory.

39 CIGARS Tire tabletop lighter reinventing a classic.

43 S PO RT Callaway FT-i Squareway woods go straight.

44 G O U R M ET Perfect espresso even7 time from illy.

47 TIME Breitling Flying B gets a new design-

JO DRINK Raising rhe bar on h iJr whiskey.

52 FU N A crash (yikes!) wuuc h stunt driver’s.

features

56 THE ART OF ASSANTE

Actor Armand Assante pursues his craft with passion and a strong

work ethic, and somehow cigars find their way into the mouths of the

tough guys he plays.

78 THE COUNTERFEIT CRISIS

A fake Ferrari? The art and technology' of counterfeiting just got good

enough to convincingly re-create some of the finest brands from cars

and watches to pens and garments, even airplane parts. How to become

more savvy about a worldwide crime business that not only rips oft both

buyer and seller, but endangers our health and exploits children.

art 92

golf 104

gambling 120

newton’s laws

Photographer Helmut Newton became a stunning

success in his medium by creating sizzling, sexy

images that captured the popular culture and told a

story—and by never leaving anything to chance.

THE CHARACTERS OF THE TOUR

Forget golf’s image as a game for button-down stuffed

shirts. Consider the kooks of the course. One boxed

an orangutan, another wears skulls on his belt buck-

les and another is called Aquaman.

THE MADNESS OF MARCH

College basketballs NCAA tournament creates a

month of solid betting action that ranmli :es gamblers

and keeps the line makers going nonstop for three

weekends and 63 games.

cars 130 TERRIFIC TRACTION

America’s torrid love affair with ofi-road vehicles

tears along with new technology for navigating even

the most treacherous terrain and many new options

for those whose SUV is never tested off the blacktop.

:echnology 138

SURROUNDED BY SOUND

The home theater in a box has been the easy out for

those who didn’t speak geek. Now these simple-to-

buy packages are going upscale, but you’re still able to

take care of your sound problems in one purchase.

Style 148 GETTING THE PERFECT SHOE

Ideal sizing is perhaps more important with your shoes

than anything else you wear, yer custom-made shoes

are a disappearing breed. We find a New York City

shop that will go the distance to fit your foot to a tee.

cigars

tasting 159 We rate 75 cigars in six sizes: “A”s (159), coronas (162), corona gordas (164), figurados (167), lonsdales (170) and robustos (172), plus Connoisseur’s Comer, our vintage cigar tasting (176).

interview 179 ERNESTO PADILLA The president of Padilla Cigars has garnered much attention lately with sterling scores in CiGAR AFICIONADO, but his cigar heritage traces back to his father, Heberto, a Cuban poet who faced down die Castro regime.

profile 184 WORKING CAPITOL HILL Congressman Kendrick Meek balances toughness and a sense of humor in his personal style as tie represents Florida’s 17th District and champions the cense of small cigarmakers against rising taxes.

cigar diary 191 TRAVELING WITH JAMES SUCKLING Our man in Havana interviews Max Gutmann, Mexico’s Cuban cigar agent and one ■'£ rhe world’s great cigar collectors.

197 MOMENTS TO REMEMBER Photos from our readers as they enjoy themselves and their cigars.

204 MADE FOR YOU Items from around the world that become personal to the user: Hollywood style; a cigar education; a better umbrella; a closer shave; made-to-measure shoes; and a golf delivery service.