Mario Puzo
Mario Puzo was born to poor Neapolitan immigrants in New York's Hell's Kitchen.
After serving in World War II, he began writing and worked in pulp journalism.
Puzo's breakthrough came with The Godfather in 1969, motivated by financial need.
The novel's success led to the acclaimed film adaptation, for which Puzo won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.
He continued to collaborate on screenplays, including Superman and The Cotton Club.
Puzo's final works, Omertà and The Family, were published posthumously.
He died of heart failure in 1999, leaving behind a legacy as one of the most influential crime novelists of the 20th century.
