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The director of the 1972 hard-core adult movie classic Deep Throathas died in Florida.

A report in News-Pressnewspaper in Fort Myers, Florida, quoted the son of director Gerard Damiano as saying he died Saturday. He was 80 and had suffered a stroke in September.

The New York-born director made a long line of adult films, but Deep Throatbecame a mass-market box-office success and was credited with launching the modern hard-core pornography industry.

The movie was highly controversial and its star, Linda Lovelace, highlighted exploitation in the porn industry by saying that she was forced into making Deep Throatby her controlling and physically abusive husband, Chuck Traynor.

Damiano said in an interview with the News-Pressin 2005 that he was diplomatic in a difficult industry.

"I was just a nice guy, which is why I think I did pretty well," he said.

"I mean, I'd meet an actress and have to say, 'Sit down, take your clothes off - I'm going to ask you to do some nasty things.' You have to be pretty nice."