Puzo, Mario

Puzo, Mario (1920–  ) writer; born in New York City. He served in the army during World War II, and studied writing at the New School for Social Research and Columbia University during the late 1940s and early 1950s. He worked at a variety of jobs and wrote serious but unsuccessful fiction until he became famous as the author of The Godfather (1969). He also wrote the subsequent screen adaptation of his novel (1972). Based on Long Island, N.Y., he wrote several other novels and additional screenplays.