By TJ Accola
Services were held last week for Gary Bucchino, a part-time UNO instructor better known as Omaha’s “Mr. Clean.”
Bucchino died last week at the age of 67 after a brief illness.
As a part-time instructor in UNO’s College of Business Administration, Bucchino had been teaching an Advanced Business Law course on Thursday nights.
Dave Volkman, chair of finance, banking and law, recalled Bucchino as a “super-nice guy” who was always “smiling” and “energetic.” Volkman said Bucchino “brought expertise” and many “real-world examples” to the classes he taught.
However, Bucchino was better known to the Omaha community as the city prosecutor nicknamed “Mr. Clean.” From 1971 to 1994, Bucchino worked ceaselessly to shut down so-called “smut” shops — establishments that sold pornographic material — which Bucchino and others claimed brought with them illegal activities.
Bucchino’s efforts often divided the Omaha community, but he was largely successful in driving the controversial shops out of Omaha.
