Born on this day: Mario Puzo October 15, 1920

Mario Puzo may not be considered a household name, but the characters he penned as part of The Godfather series of books and movies are sure to go down in history as some of the best story-telling to come out of the 20th century.

“Revenge is a dish best served cold,” is a line first spoken by legendary actor Marlon Brando, playing the part of Don Vito Corleone, a New York City mob boss and patriarch of the Corleone clan. After a few years of inactivity, Brando would go on to win his second Oscar for the role and solidify his position as Hollywood royalty. Every movie buff knows the plight of Vito and his sons Sonny, Michael and Fredo, and their struggles to retain the upper hand against rival mafia bosses in early 20th century New York and we have Mario Puzo to thank.

Puzo is the author and screenwriter behind 11 novels, including The Godfather, The Sicilian, and The Last Don. The writer also co-adapted all three screenplays that would become The Godfather Part I, Part II, and Part III. Puzo’s early works, including The Dark Arena and The Fortunate Pilgram, which came before The Godfather novel, did not receive as much praise or notoriety, though fans say his writing talent was evident from the start.

Puzo was born Mario Francis Puzo on October 15, 1920, in a neighbourhood of New York known as Hell’s Kitchen. His parents were Italian immigrants from the Campania region of Italy. At the age of 12, Puzo’s father was committed to the Pilgrim State Hospital for schizophrenia which forced Puzo’s mother, Maria to raise their 7 children alone.

At the start of his career, Puzo began publishing short stories in 1950 and his first book was published in 1955. In 1960, Puzo became assistant editor to a group of men’s magazines. He published numerous World War II adventure magazine features under the pen name Mario Clerio.

The book, The Godfather, his best-known work, was published in 1969. At the time of release, The Godfather remained on the New York Times Best-Seller list for 67 weeks and sold over 9 million copies in the first two years. To date, The Godfather has sold over 120 million copies worldwide. The movie was released in 1972 to critical acclaim. The film would win three of the 11 Oscar categories it was nominated for, including Best Screenplay Adaptation for Puzo himself.

On July 2, 1999, Puzo died of heart failure in his home in Bay Shore, New York. Since Puzo’s death, two other authors have added new books to the series including The Godfather Returns and The Godfather’s Revenge by Mark Winegardner, and a fifth novel (based on a draft script written by Puzo) The Family Corleone, written by Edward Falco. These books are recognized by Mario Puzo's estate.

Mario Puzo’s Books in our collection…

The Godfather

The Godfather’s Revenge, by Mark Winegardner

The Family Corleone, by Edward Falco

By Tracy Ward

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