Las Vegas Weekly

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Dear Dead Elvis,

The new economy parking lot at McCarran Airport is located off Gus Giuffre Drive. Who was this Gus? Another corrupt local politician?

Gus Giuffre, or “Gentleman Gus” as he was known in his heyday, was a popular TV personality whose story goes back to the embryonic days of local media. He arrived here in 1952, and a year later became the first news anchor at KLAS Channel 8, Las Vegas’ first TV station. Over the years, Gus found his niche hosting a late-night movie show at KLAS, and later in the ’70s, the afternoon movie on KVVU. He was also know as a car-dealership pitchman and for doing live interviews with participants at the San Gennaro festival. If there’s a reason that Gus can still haunt the memory of a longtime resident, it’s that his gentle baritone, casual manner and glib wit made him avuncular in the best sense of the word. His presence simply wouldn’t rile you. He died from a heart ailment in 1989 at the age of 69. Thank you very much.

E-mail your questions to askdeadelvis@lasvegasweekly.com