Mario Puzo was born on October 15, 1920, in the infamous Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan's West Side. After serving in World War II, he attended the prestigious New School for Social Research in New York and later enrolled at Columbia University. Prior to penning his iconic novel, "The Godfather," Puzo had already established himself as a talented author with two critically acclaimed novels, "The Dark Arena" and "The Fortunate Pilgrim."
In 1978, Puzo published his next novel, "Fools Die," which was followed by "The Sicilian" in 1984 and "The Fourth K" in 1991. Throughout his illustrious career, Puzo also ventured into screenwriting, crafting the scripts for notable films such as "Earthquake" (1974),"Superman" (1978),and all three "Godfather" movies, for which he received two Academy Awards.
In the 1990s, Puzo continued to produce new work, releasing his novel "The Last Don" in 1996, which was later adapted into a CBS television miniseries in May 1997, starring Danny Aiello, Kirstie Alley, and Joe Mantegna. The following year, the sequel, "The Last Don Part II," aired, while his re-released novel, "The Fortunate Pilgrim," hit the shelves courtesy of Random House.
Tragically, Mario Puzo passed away on July 2, 1999, at his home in Bay Shore, Long Island. His final novel, "Omerta," was posthumously published in July 2000. Puzo is survived by his long-time companion, Carol Gino, and their five children.
