According to this 1900 Census Form, the Bustillo-Bengocher brothers Antonio (1860- ), Valentin (1862- ), Adrian (1865- ) and Moises (1879-1943) were Spanish immigrants who arrived in the US in 1896.   Armando Mendez in his book Ciudad de Cigars: West Tampa states that in Cuba the Bustillo brothers held management positions at La Comercial factory before purchasing the the Flor de V. Suarez Cigar Co. He states that Bustillo Bros. was started in Tampa by Valentin Bustillo and Felipe Bustillo when they accepted an offer from from the West Tampa Land Development and Improving Co. to relocate from Havana. After accepting the offer to relocate, they started with great success, initially employing one hundred twenty workers brought from Cuba.  In 1897 the company changed its name to Bustillo Bros. & Diaz Co.when their friend from Havana José M. Diaz became a partner.  At that time, Valentin was in charge of the West Tampa factory, Felipe, who remained in Cuba and was thus not in the census data above, managed the Havana Branch and all tobacco purchases and Diaz handled sales from their NY office.

Mendez also states in his book that Bustillo Bros. first factory building in West Tampa was located at 152-154 13th Ave., which facility they soon outgrew.  In 1900 they opened a second factory on 10th Ave. under the name Bengocher, Alvarez & Co, at the site formerly occupied by Mark A. Brunner & Co.  After they moved out of the 10th Ave. location in 1902, it was occupied by a branch of Fernandez Hnos. & Co. of New York, makers of El Fastidio and Independiente brands.

By 1902 they employed over five hundred workers at their two factories and needed additional space.  According to an article in the March 21, 1902 edition of Tobacco publication, they built and moved to the factory building pictured below on the corner of Frances Ave. & Pino St. in April 1902 where they could accommodate up to six hundred workers.  Bustillo Bros., was one of the largest cigar manufacturing operations in West Tampa, famous world wide for their Henry the Fourth Cigars.   

Valentin Bustillo retired in 1906 and returned to live in Spain.  In 1909 Moises Bustillo joined the firm as factory manager.  In the midst of the labor strike of 1910 which lasted from July 1910 until January 1911, on September 20, 1910 J. Frank Esterling, an accountant for the Bustillo Bro. & Diaz Cigar Co. was shot an killed.  These links are interesting reading regarding the events surrounding the strike and the lynching. In January 1914, Preferred Havana Cigar Co. of Ybor City moved its offices here when it merged with Bustillo Bros. & Diaz Co., Lopez Hnos. Co., Calixto Lopez  & Co. of Havana and P. Verplanck Co.  Though under new ownership, Bustillo Bros. & Diaz kept operating under its old name.  ​Moises Bustillo left the company after the acquisition by Preferred Havana Cigar Co. and on December 1914 formed M. Bustillo & Co. with brother Felipe at the old Bolano factory at Howard Ave. & St. Louis St.  

In 1919, M. Bustillo & Co. moved to the old Sanchez & Haya Co. factory  at 7th Ave. & 15 th St.  in Ybor City where they stayed until it was demolished in 1922.  In 1922 Moises Bustillo formed a partnership with Jack Merriam and the company was renamed M. Bustillo & Merriam Co. established at 17th Ave. & 16th St. in Ybor City.  They moved twice thereafter, once to 2311 18th St. which had been vacated by Marcelino Perez Co. and a second time in 1929 to the F. Lozano, Son & Co. building.  M. Bustillo & Merriam closed for good shortly after Moises' death in 1943.

In 1953 Bustillo Bros. & Diaz Co. was acquired by Villazon & Co. and ceased to operate.  Thereafter the 33,334 sq. ft. building at 2111N Albany Ave. had other tenants and was an operational cigar factory until the mid 1960's.  As can be vaguely seen from the inscription on the fascia, it was in recent years occupied by what appears to be a former City of Tampa agency called the Tampa Inner City Managing Center.  For years the factory was used as office space, however, the Tampa Bay Times reported on October 3, 2023 that the building is being converted into student housing called Cigar Lofts at Albany.