Notes Payable, Long Term Debt and Other Obligations - Liggett Debt and Commitments (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended			0 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012 financingagreements	Jan. 14, 2015	Feb. 29, 2012
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$ 913,351,000	$ 692,343,000
Liggett [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity	50,000,000
Line of Credit, covenant term restriction prior to payment of dividend	30 days
Required minimum borrowing availability 30 days prior to payment of dividend	5,000,000
Credit Facility, Covenant measurement trailing period	12 months
Minimum Ebitda Ratio On Trailing Twelve Month Basis If Excess Availability Is Less Than 20000 Thousand	100,000,000
Covenant, excess availability in credit facility threshold	20,000,000
Covenant, capital expenditure requirement, maximum carryover amount	2,500,000
Maximum Capital Expenditures Allowed Before Maximum Carryover Amount of 2500 Thousand	15,000,000	33,000,000
Excluded from EBITDA Calculation	59,226,000
Liggett [Member] | Wells Fargo Adjusted Eurodollar Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate	2.00%
Line of Credit [Member] | Liggett [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Covenant, Excess Property Value	5,000,000
Line of Credit [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | Liggett [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity					50,000,000
Long-term Debt	17,767,000	30,424,000
Line of Credit [Member] | Revolving Credit and Term Loan Facility [Member] | Liggett [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit Facility, Amount Outstanding	21,356,000
Availability as determined under the facility	28,644,000
Line of Credit [Member] | Term Loan Under Credit Facility [Member] | Liggett [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate	1.75%
Long-term Debt	3,589,000	3,884,000
Periodic Payment	25,000
Total Periodic Payments Over The Term Of the Loan	885,000
Outstanding Principal After Total Future Periodic Payments	3,540,000
Financing Agreements [Member] | Three Financing Arrangements [Member] | Liggett [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	5,115,000
Financing Agreements Entered Into	3
Long-term Debt, Weighted Average Interest Rate	5.02%
Monthly repayments of long term debt		181,000
Monthly Installment Amount	95,000
Financing Agreements [Member] | Three Financing Arrangements [Member] | Liggett [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	4.98%
Financing Agreements [Member] | Three Financing Arrangements [Member] | Liggett [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	5.04%
Financing Agreements [Member] | Four Financing Arrangements [Member] | Liggett [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt			5,040,000
Financing Agreements Entered Into		2	4
Long-term Debt, Weighted Average Interest Rate			5.20%
Additions to property, plant and equipment			5,040,000
Financing Agreements [Member] | Four Financing Arrangements [Member] | Liggett [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Number of months loans are paid over			36 months
Interest Rate		4.99%	4.72%
Financing Agreements [Member] | Four Financing Arrangements [Member] | Liggett [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Number of months loans are paid over			48 months
Interest Rate			5.56%
Refinanced Financing Agreements [Member] | Three Financing Arrangements [Member] | Liggett [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate	4.99%
Term of Loan	36 months
Refinanced Financing Agreements [Member] | Financing Arrangement 5 Point 96 Percent [Member] | Liggett [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt		6,580,000	4,452,000
Long-term Debt, Weighted Average Interest Rate		4.66%	5.89%
Average Number of Months Loans Are Paid Over			43 months
Interest Rate		3.28%	5.96%
Term of Loan			36 months
Monthly Installment Amount			135,000
Refinanced Financing Agreements [Member] | Financing Arrangement 5 Point 63 Percent [Member] | Liggett [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	2,843,000
Interest Rate	5.63%
Term of Loan	21 months
Subsequent Event [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | Liggett [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity				60,000,000
Debt Covenant, Borrowing Base, Account Receivable				85.00%
Debt Covenant, Borrowing Base, Account Receivable Plus Amount				10,000,000
Debt Covenant, Borrowing Base, Inventory				80.00%
Debt Covenant, Borrowing Base, Inventory, Cost Multiplier				60.00%
Debt Covenant, Borrowing Base, Inventory, Liquidation Value				85.00%
Credit Facility, Covenant measurement trailing period				12 months
Minimum Ebitda Ratio On Trailing Twelve Month Basis If Excess Availability Is Less Than 20000 Thousand				100,000,000
Covenant, excess availability in credit facility threshold				20,000,000
Covenant, capital expenditure requirement, maximum carryover amount				10,000,000
Maximum Capital Expenditures Allowed Before Maximum Carryover Amount of 2500 Thousand				20,000,000
Subsequent Event [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | Liggett [Member] | Federal Funds Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate				0.50%
Subsequent Event [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | Liggett [Member] | Prime Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate				1.00%
Subsequent Event [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | Liggett [Member] | LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate				2.25%
Subsequent Event [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | Term Loan Under Credit Facility [Member] | Liggett [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Face amount				3,600,000
Periodic Payment				$ 25,000