By William “Skip” Deegans
In 1951, Cigarette Johnny made public appearances at Lewisburg’s two drug stores to promote Phillip Morris cigarettes. Dressed in a hotel bellboy’s uniform, Johnny (aka Johnny Morris) was, for many years, the image of Phillip Morris. Older readers who were fans of the popular “I Love Lucy” television series may remember Johnny’s “Call For Phillip Morris” commercial.
Born to Italian immigrants, Johnny Roventini was a dwarf who began working as a bellboy in a New York hotel after completing junior high school in Brooklyn. He was discovered in 1933 when an advertising executive saw him and gave him a dollar to walk through the lobby calling for a Mr. Phillip Morris. His “audition” led to a lifetime contract and a $50,000 annual salary. Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball, husband and wife, had difficulty finding a sponsor for their proposed I Love Lucy television comedy, Arnaz was a Cuban immigrant, and his marriage to a white woman was controversial. Philip Morris agreed to sponsor the program, and assigned Johnny to promote their cigarettes during the commercials. I Love Lucy was an instant success and ran for six seasons.
In 1999, the U. S. Department filed suit against Philip Morris and other cigarette manufacturers. In 2006, Judge Gladys Kessler found the defendants guilty of conspiring to defraud the public over the health dangers of smoking under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) Act. In 2025, Phillip Morris’ net revenue surpassed $40 billion with a gross profit of $27.5 million. Johnny Roventini died in 1998 at age 88. He wasn’t a smoker.
Truth be told, there were several Cigarette Johnnys who made simultaneous public appearances. We may never know if the “real” Johnny visited Lewisburg.
Sources: Greenbrier Independent, Los Angeles Times, New Yorker, Daily News, American Cancer Society, Philip Morris International.
