(1920 – 1999) Novelist, seen by many critics as responsible for killing Italian American literature with the publication of The Godfather (1969). New York-born and educated, Puzo published two critically acclaimed, but largely unread novels (The Fortunate Pilgrim 1965; The Dark Arena, 1970), before deciding to write his first pulp novel. The Godfather mixed narratives from Italian American immigration history with invented traditions about the Mafia (e.g. their use of the term “godfather”), many of which were then picked up by members of the mob (especially after the success of the Hollywood movie trilogy for which Puzo’s screenplays earned two Oscars). Following the Godfather series, mob family chronicles became the staple for Italian American novels.