Notes Payable, Long Term Debt and Other Obligations - Liggett Debt and Commitments (Details)		12 Months Ended
	Jan. 14, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) financingagreements	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($) financingagreements	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($) financingagreements
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt		$ 895,168,000	$ 913,351,000
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
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
Interest rate at end of period		2.70%
Covenant, Excess Property Value		$ 5,000,000
Line of Credit [Member] | Liggett [Member] | Federal Funds Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate	0.50%
Line of Credit [Member] | Liggett [Member] | Prime Rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate	1.00%
Line of Credit [Member] | Liggett [Member] | LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Basis spread on variable rate	2.25%
Line of Credit [Member] | Revolving Credit Facility [Member] | Liggett [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt		3,213,000	17,767,000
Line of Credit [Member] | Revolving Credit and Term Loan Facility [Member] | Liggett [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Line of Credit		6,482,000
Availability as determined under the facility		51,452,000
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
Outstanding Principal After Total Future Periodic Payments		2,000,000
Long-term Debt		$ 3,269,000	$ 3,589,000
Financing Agreements [Member] | Three Financing Arrangements [Member] | Liggett [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Financing Agreements Entered Into | financingagreements			3
Long-term Debt, Weighted Average Interest Rate			5.02%
Long-term Debt			$ 5,115,000
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] | Two Financing Agreements [Member] | Liggett [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Financing Agreements Entered Into | financingagreements		2		2
Long-term Debt, Weighted Average Interest Rate		4.79%		4.49%
Interest Rate				3.28%
Long-term Debt		$ 1,765,000		$ 6,580,000
Monthly repayments of long term debt				$ 181,000
Monthly Installment Amount		$ 33,000
Financing Agreements [Member] | Two Financing Agreements [Member] | Liggett [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate		4.49%		4.93%
Financing Agreements [Member] | Two Financing Agreements [Member] | Liggett [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate		4.85%
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 63 Percent [Member] | Liggett [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest Rate			5.63%
Long-term Debt			$ 2,843,000
Term of Loan			21 months