PENTHOUSE Publisher Bob Guccione Passes Away

[Fat Freddy]

I owe the man a debt of gratitude. If it weren't for his --ahem -- "art magazines" I never would've become the pervert that I am today.

 

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20101021/people_nm/us_guccione_3

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) Bob Guccione, who brought full frontal nudity to men's magazines and built a multimillion dollar publishing empire on the success of his flagship magazine, Penthouse, died on Wednesday, according to his family. He was 79.

 

Guccione died in Plano, Texas, of cancer after a long illness, his family said in a statement e-mailed to Reuters. His wife, April Dawn Warren Guccione, and two of his children were at his side.

 

Seen as an upstart rival to Playboy's Hugh Hefner as the leading publisher of skin magazines, Guccione aggressively challenged his rival while trying to keep Penthouse legitimate.

 

The financial success of Penthouse's mix of racy photographs, investigative reporting, science fiction and sexual advice columns allowed Guccione to launch other magazines, most notably the glossy science publication Omni.

 

He also published Forum, Variations and Penthouse Letters, pocket-sized magazines based on some of the most popular Penthouse columns.

 

Guccione also owned one of the largest mansions in Manhattan. But he eventually lost his Penthouse empire due to Reagan-era censorship, a series of extravagant business failures and the Internet onslaught of free pornography.

 

He earned world headlines and sent Penthouse sales rocketing with publication of nude photographs of Miss America, Vanessa Williams, in 1984 and of rock queen Madonna in 1985.

 

In July 1988 and again in January 1989, Penthouse rocked the worldwide television ministry of Jimmy Swaggart with "confessions" from women who said they acted out pornographic fantasies for Swaggart. The preacher was defrocked by his denomination.

 

Guccione portrayed himself as a conservative workaholic, belying the racy reputation inspired by his magazines and his stock uniform of a shirt open to the waist and gold chains draped around his neck.

 

"No one has ever been in my swimming pool without a bathing suit," he once said.

 

The son of a successful accountant, Guccione was born in the New York borough of Brooklyn, grew up in suburban New Jersey but left the United States after high school to practice painting first in Rome and, three years later, in London.

 

While there, he held a variety of jobs, working as a cook, actor and private eye before launching Penthouse in 1965.

 

With its frontal pictures of naked women, the magazine drew immediate criticism that only spurred its popularity.

 

In 1969, Penthouse invaded the United States and challenged Playboy with more sexually explicit stories and photographs, many taken by Guccione himself in soft-focus. The magazine also was among the first to run a column for Vietnam veterans.

 

By 1974, Guccione's annual personal income from Penthouse was estimated at $6 million.

 

In the mid-1970s, Guccione briefly published Viva, a failed competitor to the popular Cosmopolitan magazine for women. In 1979, Guccione produced the sex-filled, and ill-fated, motion picture "Caligula."

 

The Williams pictures cost the first black Miss America her crown but made her a household name. The Madonna photos, taken years before when she was a model, sparked a bitter fight between Penthouse and Playboy, each claiming their pictures were sexier and rushed them into print in July of 1985.

 

In 1984, Guccione pumped an estimated $16 million into a still-born company meant to develop a portable nuclear reactor.

 

He had five children by two former wives. He married Kathy Keeton, a former exotic dancer, in 1987, after living with her for 23 years.

[metaltrekman]

When I was younger of course Id go to the "adult" section of the magazines pretending to look at everything but the porn. Playboy was what started it for me when I was only about 8-9 I guess. MAN look at them tits!! hehe. But as I got older (teens) of course I wanted some REAL porn and looking at Penthouse and reading Penthouse Letters magazine Got me started to the road Im on now!! Ive always enjoyed it. Too bad my wife cant stand it. Her loss!! If I remember right the first Porn movie I watched was Caligula from Penthouse. And I was on my wayyyyyyyyyyyyy. hehe.

 

R.I.P. Bob!! And Thanks Ya Pervert!!

[Clutch]

As a kid, a good friend of mine's father had a massive Playboy and Penthouse collection. Playboy was in second place every time. We ravaged the Playboys as well but only after we went thru ALL of the Penthouses. Twice. I'll have to drink a beer to this guy.

[All Nights Reserved]

RIP Bob.

[Fat Freddy]

As a kid, a good friend of mine's father had a massive Playboy and Penthouse collection.

 

My Dad used to read Playboy and Penthouse every month too, but he didn't save'em...when he was finished with each issue he'd put 'em on the recycling pile in our basement, where of course my brother and I would "liberate" them and stash them away. After a couple of years, we had amassed a "library" that was the envy of all of our friends.

 

I remember when he was supposed to have "the talk" with my brother and I when we were about 11 or 12 years old, the extent of the discussion was "you guys have been stealing my Penthouse magazines for how many years now? You probably know more about it than I do."

[Clutch]

As a kid, a good friend of mine's father had a massive Playboy and Penthouse collection.

 

My Dad used to read Playboy and Penthouse every month too, but he didn't save'em...when he was finished with each issue he'd put 'em on the recycling pile in our basement, where of course my brother and I would "liberate" them and stash them away. After a couple of years, we had amassed a "library" that was the envy of all of our friends.

 

I remember when he was supposed to have "the talk" with my brother and I when we were about 11 or 12 years old, the extent of the discussion was "you guys have been stealing my Penthouse magazines for how many years now? You probably know more about it than I do."

 

I have a similar story. The above mentioned friend, along with myself, tore into his Dad's closet which housed the collection while his parents were gone for the day. We took extra care to make sure we placed all of them back in the exact order that we found them. After they returned home, his Dad came into my friend's room closing the door behind him. "I know you boys went through my magazines" he said. We were in disbelief because of the precautions we had taken. He continued, "I don't think there is anything in there too bad for you to see. It's just a matter of privacy." "Chris", he said looking right at me, "would you like it if I went through your closet and found pictures of your girlfriend naked?". It all made sense to me. But how the hell did he know about it? I had to ask. He explained that in our haste we left a flashlight sitting outside that had been on top of the magazines. His Dad and I have been great friends since and I still respect the man. Not only for his grand collection but teaching life lessons.

[Fat Freddy]

Clutch - great story!

 

When my wife's grandfather passed away a couple of years ago we went to his house to help her grandmother clear out some things as she was moving to a senior citizen's facility. Grandmother took me down to the basement/workshop and showed me a closet in the back that contained the old man's absolutely MASSIVE collection of Playboy/Penthouse/etc. magazines, all neatly arranged on shelves, dating back to the early '70s at least. She told me I was welcome to the whole collection if I wanted'em, but unfortunately I had to pass cuz A.) I had no space in my house to store such a collection, and B.) my wife probably would've killed me. Looking back, I regret that decision now, cuz even if I hadn't kept'em all, I'm sure some of those vintage issues probably would've brought some decent coin on eBay. Oh well....sheesh, the things I give up for the sake of family unity.

[Clutch]

Clutch - great story!

 

When my wife's grandfather passed away a couple of years ago we went to his house to help her grandmother clear out some things as she was moving to a senior citizen's facility. Grandmother took me down to the basement/workshop and showed me a closet in the back that contained the old man's absolutely MASSIVE collection of Playboy/Penthouse/etc. magazines, all neatly arranged on shelves, dating back to the early '70s at least. She told me I was welcome to the whole collection if I wanted'em, but unfortunately I had to pass cuz A.) I had no space in my house to store such a collection, and B.) my wife probably would've killed me. Looking back, I regret that decision now, cuz even if I hadn't kept'em all, I'm sure some of those vintage issues probably would've brought some decent coin on eBay. Oh well....sheesh, the things I give up for the sake of family unity.

 

Tough call but you did the right thing. I would have been dumb enough to stash them in the trunk of my car or something equally stupid.

[Dark Star]

Ok I got a story too... My Dad had a closet, He kept locked, with His collection of Playboys and Penthouse mags?? Now, Me, being the horny lil kid I was back then, liberated the key one day before My parents left for a night and got into the closet to enjoy the stacks of His porn?? I decided to be nice though and I organized them for Him in chronological order, by year AND month?? Looked really nice when I was done too.. SO I locked it up, returned the key and went to bed... Next day My dad wants to talk to Me?? I thought I was a dead man for getting into His closet?? He says He knew I did cause the mags were all organized, and He chuckled and THANKED Me for doing it!!!!!!

 

Ah Memories.. And I always preferred Penthouse to Playboy.. Gotta be cause of the infamous Penthouse Forum.. Great reading there....

[Fat Freddy]

Penthouse Forum.. Great reading there....

 

High schools don't need to teach Sex Ed for an entire semester. Just pass out a "Penthouse Forum" column to 'em and they'll learn everything they need to know

[Widda]

I will step up and say i have seen Caligula uncut.....and enjoyed it.

[Fat Freddy]

I will step up and say i have seen Caligula uncut.....and enjoyed it.

 

If I may throw your own famous phrase back atcha... "pervert."

[Widda]

I will step up and say i have seen Caligula uncut.....and enjoyed it.

 

If I may throw your own famous phrase back atcha... "pervert."

 

 

 

in this instance....Guilty as charged. (I do have an inner pervert that comes out every so often).

[metaltrekman]

I will step up and say i have seen Caligula uncut.....and enjoyed it.

 

When I watch Porn now I dont usually watch it for the story or even watch the whole movie LOL But Caligula is a cool and interesting Porn classic.

 

And like the rest of the perverts here, it always does my heart and lower regions good to know that another woman enjoys Porn!! You Rock Widda!!

[Jacob M.]

I'm pretty tempted to get a subscription to Penthouse. Their circulation is currently around 178,000 a month and Playboy outsells it roughly 10 to 1. No better way to pay your respects than to help keep his creation alive.