26 Facts About Bob Guccione

1.

Robert Charles Joseph Edward Sabatini Guccione was an American photographer and publisher.

2.

In 2003, Bob Guccione's publishers filed for bankruptcy and he resigned as chairman.

3.

Bob Guccione was born in Brooklyn, New York, of Sicilian descent and raised Catholic in Bergenfield, New Jersey, the eldest child of Anthony, an accountant, and Nina, a housewife.

4.

Bob Guccione attended high school at Blair Academy, a prep school in Blairstown, New Jersey.

5.

Bob Guccione eventually met an English woman, Muriel Hudson, moved to London with her, and married her.

6.

Bob Guccione occasionally created cartoons for Bill Box's humorous greeting card company Box Cards.

7.

In 1976, Bob Guccione used about US $17.5 million of his personal fortune to finance the controversial historical epic erotic film, Caligula, with Malcolm McDowell in the title role and a supporting cast including Helen Mirren, John Gielgud and Peter O'Toole.

8.

Later Bob Guccione started Penthouse Forum which was more textual in content.

9.

In 1982, Bob Guccione was listed in the Forbes 400 ranking of wealthiest people, with a reported $400 million net worth.

10.

An April 2002 New York Times article quoted Bob Guccione as saying that Penthouse grossed $3.5 billion to $4 billion over the 30-year life of the company, with a net income of almost $500 million.

11.

Bob Guccione was praised by certain professional groups and associations for his dealings with them.

12.

Bob Guccione resigned as chairman of the board and CEO of Penthouse International, Inc.

13.

In 2006, Bob Guccione sued Penthouse Media Group for fraud, breach of contract, and conspiracy, among other charges.

14.

Bob Guccione gave Anna Wintour her first job as a fashion editor at his magazine Viva.

15.

Bob Guccione was an investor in the films Chinatown and The Day of the Locust.

16.

Bob Guccione was married four times: he first married Lilyann Becker in his late teens.

17.

Bob Guccione married, secondly, to a British woman, Muriel Hudson, with whom he had four children.

18.

Bob Guccione continued to list Keeton on the Penthouse masthead posthumously as president, but later added Warren to the masthead after she had spent ten years as creative director of the magazine.

19.

Warren and Bob Guccione were working on a book of reminiscences, Good to Know, until shortly before his death in 2010, at age 79.

20.

Bob Guccione brought artisans in from France and Italy to build the largest private residence in Manhattan.

21.

Laurus sued Bob Guccione to take possession of the house from the tenant.

22.

Bob Guccione had to sell his country house in Staatsburg, New York.

23.

Bob Guccione was a painter whose art premiered at Nassau County Museum of Art as well as the Butler Institute of American Art.

24.

Bob Guccione's art continues to hang in the Borghi Fine Art Gallery, is featured in the POBA - Where the Arts Live online collection, and is a part of the Filthy Gorgeous Media art collection.

25.

Highlights of the Bob Guccione collection included a portrait by Amedeo Modigliani and a Pablo Picasso portrait of the artist's son, Paulo.

26.

Bob Guccione borrowed $20 million from AIG, the insurance company.