Robert Guccione Founder and publisher of Penthouse magazine Date of Birth: 17.12.1930 Country: USA

Biography of Robert Guccione

Robert Guccione (full name: Robert Charles Joseph Edward Sabatini Guccione), better known as Bob Guccione, was born in 1930 in Brooklyn, New York. He spent his childhood in Bergenfield, New Jersey, and was raised in the Roman Catholic faith. Coming from a family with Sicilian roots, his father worked as an accountant. Guccione received his education at Blair Academy in Blairstown, New Jersey.

At a young age, Guccione married Lilyann Becker, but the marriage was short-lived as he left his wife and young daughter, Tonia, to pursue his dreams in Europe. He aspired to become an artist and spent the next ten years traveling and adventuring with friends. Eventually, Guccione settled in London, where he met and married Muriel. The couple had two sons, Bob Jr. and Tony. However, financial troubles arose with the arrival of their children. Guccione sought various jobs and eventually landed a position as a cartoonist for the London weekly, "The London American." Additionally, he occasionally worked for the company "Box Cards," while Muriel started her own business selling posters and greeting cards.

It was in England in the mid-1960s that Guccione conceived his bold project – the publication of an erotic magazine that could rival or even surpass the popular "Playboy." Thus, the famous "Penthouse" was born. According to legend, the first issue of the magazine ended up being distributed to unintended recipients, including schoolboys, politicians, schoolteachers, and clergy. Whether true or not, this controversy surrounding the magazine's initial readership served as excellent advertising and ensured a successful launch. In 1969, "Penthouse" began to be published in the United States, and its peak popularity came in the 1970s when its circulation surpassed that of "Playboy." The magazine's success was further fueled by its inclusion of explicit photographs that pushed the boundaries of the time, as well as featuring renowned personalities such as Madonna and Vanessa Lynn Williams.

Guccione's success allowed him to pursue other ventures. He wisely invested a portion of his growing wealth in projects such as a science fiction magazine and amassed an impressive collection of paintings by artists like Salvador Dali, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Pablo Picasso. However, many of his investments did not yield the desired returns, including funding the controversial film "Caligula" by Tinto Brass and the construction of a hotel and casino that resulted in losses.

As the era of adult publications reached its decline with the rise of the internet, Guccione retired from his role as publisher of "Penthouse" in 2003. During his tenure, he reportedly earned around $4 billion, with a net profit of $500 million. In 1982, Forbes magazine included him on its list of the wealthiest individuals.

Guccione's third wife was his longtime companion and publisher Kathy Keeton. He had five children from various marriages. On October 20, 2010, Robert Guccione passed away from cancer, just two months before his 80th birthday, at a hospital in Plano, Texas.