“I’ll Make Him an Offer He Can’t Refuse…” Mario Gianluigi Puzo: the Father of “The Godfather”

1. “I’ll Make Him an Offer He Can’t Refuse…”Mario Gianluigi Puzo: the Father of “The Godfather” Created by Chika “The Girl” Okusogu

2. Bada-Bing, Bada-Boom; Its Done ‘Ello ladies and ‘gents, This is Chika “The Girl” Okusogu here to give you some info on man, Puzo, (insert gasp here) himself. You picking up what I’m putting down? Good, let’s get started.

3. Thesis Explanation • Location Where Puzo was at the time when writing or how where he had been affected him. • Time Period During different times of his life, Puzo would write about current events or main themes of that time • Society  a structured community of people bound together by similar traditions institutions, or nationalities gave Puzo a foundation to support his novels

4. 10 Things You MUST Know About Mario Puzo if You Are Going To Leave This Classroom • Born on October 15th, 1920 in the Hell’s Kitchen district of Manhattan, New York • Died July 2nd 1999 in Long Island, New York • Best known for the mafia drama “The Godfather” • Many novels after “The Godfather” based on organized crime

5. 10 Things You MUST Know About Mario Puzo if You Are Going To Leave This Classroom

6. 10 Things You MUST Know About Mario Puzo if You Are Going To Leave This Classroom • Puzo was an avid gambler • Read voraciously • Enjoyed playing tennis • LOVER OF ITLAIAN CRUSINE

7. Early Life • In teens, he composed short stories • During WWII, served in Germany as public relations admin. • Met a German woman named Erkia Lina Broske; got married in 1946; they had 5 children • 1st novel published in 1955, “Dark Arena” topic of WWII and Germany

8. Mid-Life • Dark Arena did not sell well, but had positive reviews • 2nd novel, The Fortunate Pilgrim, was considered by some to be Puzo’s best work, but was not popular

9. Peak of His Career • Frustrated by Not being able to achieve commercial recognition, Puzo set out to write a “blockbuster.” WHICH IS?????

11. Stats and Info on “The Godfather” • Published in 1969 • Held #1 Spot on NY TIMES bestseller list for 67 weeks (about 1 year and 3 months) • Sold over 21 MILLION COPIES WORLDWIDE • Won many awards as a screenplay

12. Info on “The Godfather” • Criticized for “Glorifying Gangsters” but Puzo abhorred violence • Famous Line “I’ll Make an Offer He Can’t Refuse.” • Sympathized with characters to make the story more gripping to readers

13. ITS MAFIA TIME

14. Cosa Nostra • Means “our thing” • Criminal syndicate • Italian-Exclusive • Emerged during the Mid 19th Century in Sicily, Italy • Loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct

15. Cosa Nostra • Groups known as “clans” or “families” • Mafia emerged during the Late 19th Century in the US after waves of Italian Emigration

16. American Mafia • Emerged Along East Coast • 5 Main NY Families: Gambino, Lucchese, Genovese, Bonanno, Coloumbo • Had Families ALL OVER U.S.

17. Now please refer to your Mafia Handbook

18. The Godfather Summary • The story has a plot that spans from 1945-1955; including some back stories about some characters. • The story is wrapped around the main character, Michael Corelone, during a mob war between the Five Families of New York. The war is “technically” started when Virgil “The Turk” Sollozzo hired men to attack Don Vito Corelone (the Boss of the most powerful familiy) after he declined his offer to help support a drug ring. When the Don is shot, his underboss and son, Santino “Sonny” Corelone, becomes acting boss and declares war on the Tattaglia. Changes of power lead to instability, bonds are broken, and trust is tested. Michael is forced to undergo different hardships throughout the story in order to bring the Corelones back to its powerful, respected, and stable state. Eventually at the end of this novel, the pain he went though will not go unrewarded.

19. The Godfather Review • On a scale from one to ten, I’ll give it a FIFTEEN. • Amazing Plot Development with Characters to Sympathize With • Verisimilitude really kept the “Italian Mafia” feel to the novel with actual Italian and Mafia phrases, actual locations from the real-world to the fictional one, and characters that seemed alive.

20. Final Words • Puzo crafted an amazing novel with themes of the corrupted “American Dream,” the strength of family bonds, defining justice and what is right vs. wrong to different eyes, Italian Identity in the USA, and gave a new view on the Mafia by making the reader sympathize with the struggles of the Corelone Family as a whole.

21. Novels That Puzo Wrote • The Godfather; 1969 • The Dark Arena; 1955 • The Fortunate Pilgrim; 1965 • The Runaway Summer of Davie Shaw; 1966 • Six Graves to Munich; 1967 • Fools Die; 1978 • The Sicilian; 1981 • The Fourth K; 1991 • The Last Don; 1996 • Omerta; 2000 • The Familiy; 2001; completed by Carol Gino

22. Works Cited • “American Mafia.” en.wikipedia.org. Wikipedia. N.d. Web. April 17 2011 • Hall, James B. "Mario Puzo." DISCovering Authors. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Gale Student Resources In Context. Web. April 15 2011. • "Mario Puzo." Newsmakers. Detroit: Gale, 2000. Gale Student Resources In Context. Web. 15 April 2011 • “Mario Puzo.” en.wikipedia.org. Wikipedia. N.d. Web. April 19 2011