Mario Puzo

Mario Puzo (1920-1999) was an American author/screenwriter of crime fiction. Mario was best known for Mafia-themed novels, most notably The Godfather . His family were Italian immigrants living in Hell’s Kitchen, which is where he draws much of his material from. Mario’s goal when he wrote The Godfather was to write a novel to make him money, as he had already gotten favourable reviews for his work, but the books weren’t commercially successful. He then adapted the novel to the classic film alongside Francis Ford Coppola. Puzo died of heart failure at home in 1999.