Thursday, October 21, 2010

Bob Guccione, R. I. P.

Penthouse Magazine Founder Bob Guccione Dies at 79 - NYTimes.com: "DALLAS (AP) — Bob Guccione tried the seminary and spent years trying to make it as an artist before he found the niche that Hugh Hefner left for him in the late 1960s. Where Hefner's Playboy magazine strove to surround its pinups with an upscale image, Guccione aimed for something a little more direct with Penthouse.

More explicit nudes. Sensational stories. Even more sensational letters that began, 'Dear Penthouse, I never thought I'd be writing you...'

It worked for decades for Guccione, who died Wednesday in Texas at the age of 79. He estimated that Penthouse earned $4 billion during his reign as publisher. He was listed in the Forbes 400 ranking of wealthiest people with a net worth of about $400 million in 1982."

No comments: