Since the United States imposed an embargo on Cuba in July 1963, Cuban cigars can't be imported legally into the States. Under the Trading with the Enemy Act, as applied to Cuba, U.S. citizens cannot purchase products of Cuban origin and import them into the United States, whether in Cuba or in a third country, and are subject to fines and imprisonment if they do. On a note of irony, the story is told that the night before President John F. Kennedy authorized the Cuban embargo, he arranged to have a large cache of Cuban cigars delivered for his personal use. At Kennedy's request, his press secretary Pierre Salinger procured overnight 1,200 Petit Upmanns - the president's favorite. Immediately upon receiving the cigars, Kennedy pulled from his desk drawer and signed the legislation banning Cuban products. Perhaps Kennedy's treasured cigars were stored in his humidor that sold at auction at Sotheby's in April 1996 to Cigar Aficionado publisher Marvin Shanken for $574,000.