Film-maker Gerard Damiano died 25 October 2008, from complications of a stroke he suffered last month. Born Gerardo Rocco Damiano in New York City on 4 August 1928, he was best known for directing, writing, editing (and briefly appearing in) his 1972 film Deep Throat (he was credited as Jerry Gerard in that film). That film, shot in six days for about $25,000, had grossed more than $600 million by 2005.
After working as a shoeshine boy in Times Square and as a busboy in the Automat, he joined the US Navy at the age of 17, and served four years. After his discharge, he worked as an X-ray technician for 12 years before becoming a hairdresser. He went on to run three successful beauty shops in Queens, New York.
His film career grew out of his amateur photography, and a suggestion from his accountant.
Nearly all of his film work was pornography, though some had sf-nal overtones. These include: Return to Alpha Blue (1984), The Satisfiers of Alpha Blue (1980), Legacy of Satan (1974), The Magical Ring (1971), and the aforementioned Deep Throat.
Damiano was thrice divorced, and the father of two children (who survive him) from his second marriage: Gerard Jr. and Christar.