Mario Puzo

Profession: Novelist

Nationality:

Biography: Mario Puzo is best known for his novel "The Godfather" (1969). This book about the Italian-American mafia became a huge success, staying on The New York Times Best Seller list for 67 weeks and selling over nine million copies in two years. It was later adapted into a highly successful film trilogy directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

Puzo was born in 1920 in New York City to Italian immigrant parents. He had a difficult youth, with his father being committed to a mental hospital when Puzo was 12, leaving his mother to raise seven children alone. After serving in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II, Puzo graduated from the City College of New York.

Before his breakthrough with "The Godfather," Puzo worked as an assistant editor for men's magazines and wrote short stories and his first novel, "The Dark Arena" (1955), under the pen name Mario Cleri.

The success of "The Godfather" led to Puzo winning Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay for "The Godfather" (1972) and "The Godfather Part II" (1974). He also wrote the original screenplay for "Superman" (1978) and its sequel.

Puzo was married to Erika Lina Broske, with whom he had five children. After Erika's death from breast cancer, Carol Gino became his companion.

Puzo continued writing novels and screenplays throughout his life, including "The Fourth K" (1991) and "Omertà" (2000). His final novel, "The Family," was released after his death in 2001.

Born: October 15, 1920
Birthplace: New York City, New York, USA

Generation: Greatest Generation
Chinese Zodiac: Monkey
Star Sign: Libra

Died: July 2, 1999 (aged 78)
Cause of Death: Heart failure