Penthouse Founder Bob Guccione Dies at 79

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Penthouse Founder Bob Guccione Dies of Cancer

By the CNN Wire Staff
October 21, 2010

(CNN) -- Penthouse magazine founder Bob Guccione died Wednesday of cancer at a Plano, Texas, hospital, his family said Wednesday night.

Guccione, 79, died at Plano Specialty Hospital, with his wife, April Dawn Warren Guccione and two of his children, Bob Jr. and Tonina, at his side, a family statement said.

April Guccione's mother, Georgann Flinchbaugh, told CNN her daughter, who had been married to the publishing and entertainment magnate since 2006, was too distraught to talk.

"He was a wonderful man," Flinchbaugh said. "She's heartbroken. He was the love of her life."

Guccione launched Penthouse magazine, one of several magazine ventures, in 1965. He and Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner competed for the attention of men for several decades.

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[Bob]

In my misspent youth (most of it), we used to read the forum (I don't recall the precise name of it) in Penthouse where people would write of their wild sexual experiences and we'd all giggle and immediately say it couldn't be true.

It used to bug us a bit that both Playboy and Penthouse would airbrush the sensitive body parts to "pretty" them up. But, back in the 60's, it was pretty much Playboy and Penthouse (not counting the underwear section of the Sears catalogue or National Geographic) that provided much of the erotic reading material for overly hormonal teens. And we used to think that stuff was pretty risque at one time!

[Gaybutton]

the underwear section of the Sears catalogue or National Geographic

Frederick's of Hollywood. Don't forget Frederick's of Hollywood. Are they still around?

One of my favorite early teen memories was the day I discovered my dad's stash of Playboys. I gained a whole new respect for him that day. As I recall it, I also gained even further respect a few days later when he realized I had been in his personal belongings. His belt came off and that was the last time I was ever in his personal belongings.

[Bob]

His belt came off and that was the last time I was ever in his personal belongings.

Maybe we're brothers? Yea, the good old days when the ol' man would "explain" things with the belt. Rather crude but it was effective!

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Maybe we're brothers? Yea, the good old days when the ol' man would "explain" things with the belt. Rather crude but it was effective!

Today people call it abuse, but all I know is when that belt came off, I didn't do whatever it was I had done a second time.

[Bob]

Today people call it abuse, but all I know is when that belt came off, I didn't do whatever it was I had done a second time.

No doubt about it, we learned "real good." However, to be honest, what I really learned was not to get caught doing it a second time.

[retiredajarn]

In the days when canes were used in our schools I observed two kinds of boys. The first would meekly accept his caning and for the most part refrain from further offences. The second would take his caning with the kind of bravado which makes one want to employ the full force of every stroke. The latter would no doubt be caught re-offending later.