Mario Puzo

Mario Puzo (1920–1999) was an American writer of Italian descent. He was born in New York City to Italian immigrants. After publishing his first short story in 1950, he released his first novel, The Dark Arena, in 1955. Puzo became widely known for The Fortunate Pilgrim (1965) and especially The Godfather (1969), which was adapted for the screen by Francis Ford Coppola. His other novels include Fools Die (1978), The Sicilian (1984), and The Last Don (1996). Puzo died on Long Island in July 1999.