Saskatchewan gas jockey whose last name fuelled international craze dead at 82
REGINA — A Saskatchewan gas jockey who got quite a bit more than 15 minutes of fame after appearing on David Letterman’s “The Late Show” because of his unusual last name has died.
A posting on the website of Regina’s Speers Funeral Chapel says Dick Assman died Monday at the age of 82.
In 1995, a Petro-Canada gas station owner placed an advertisement to let customers know that Assman — a German name properly pronounced OSS-man — had moved from one outlet to another.
The ad caught the attention of “The Late Show” staff and touched off a Letterman-fuelled craze of “Assmania.” The name became a running gag for the TV talk show host and Assman travelled to New York to appear on stage to the delighted screams of studio audience members.