The Godfather
The Godfather is a crime novel by American author Mario Puzo. Originally published in 1969 by G. P. Putnam’s Sons, the novel details the story of a fictional Mafia family in New York City (and Long Beach, New York), headed by Vito Corleone. Puzo’s dedication for The Godfather is “For Anthony Cleri”. The novel’s epigraph is by the French author Honoré de Balzac: “Behind every great fortune there is a crime.” The novel covers the years 1945 to 1955 and includes the back story of Vito Corleone from early childhood to adulthood.
The first in a series of novels, The Godfather is noteworthy for introducing Italian words like consigliere, caporegime, Cosa Nostra, and omertà to an English-speaking audience. It inspired a 1972 film of the same name. Two film sequels, including new contributions by Puzo himself, were made in 1974 and 1990. The first two films are widely held in high esteem as examples of the cinematic art.[1][2]
The Corleone family, one of the Five Families of the New York Mafia, fights the other four families in a brutal war in the years after World War II. After Don Vito Corleone is shot by men working for drug kingpin Virgil “The Turk” Sollozzo, Corleone’s two sons, Santino (“Sonny”) and Michael, must run the family business with the help of consigliere Tom Hagen and the family’s two trusted caporegimes, Peter Clemenza and Salvatore Tessio. When Michael murders Sollozzo and his bodyguard, corrupt NYPD officer Captain Mark McCluskey, while meeting with them in a restaurant, the conflict escalates into a full-scale war which results in Sonny’s murder; Michael is forced to assume control of the family as the new Don. Under his retired father’s tutelage, Michael orchestrates a plan to extract revenge, while relocating the Corleone family’s power base to Las Vegas in order to further his goal of legitimizing the family and getting them out of organized crime. This encompasses the murder of all of the Corleone family’s enemies, including Michael’s brother-in-law Carlo Rizzi, who played a part in Sonny’s murder. After selling all of the family’s remaining businesses in New York, the Corleones permanently move to Las Vegas.
The Corleone family patriarch is Vito Corleone (the Don), whose surname (Italian for “Lionheart”) recalls the Sicilian town of the same name. His birth name is Vittorio Andolini, but after immigrating to the United States following the deaths of his parents and brother, he changed it to the name of his home village as one of his few acts of sentimentality. Vito fathered four children: Santino “Sonny” Corleone, Frederico “Fredo” Corleone, Michael “Mike” Corleone, and Constanzia “Connie” Corleone. He also has an informally adopted son, Thomas “Tom” Hagen, who became the Corleone family’s consigliere (counselor). Vito Corleone is also godfather to the famous singer and movie star Johnny Fontane. The godfather referred to in the title is generally taken to be Vito. However, the story’s main character is Michael Corleone. The novel’s central storyline details Michael’s destiny to succeed his father as the head of the family empire, despite his desire to lead an Americanized life with his girlfriend (and eventual wife) Kay Adams.
The Corleone family is a criminal organization with national influence, notably protection, gambling and union racketeering. Serving as the Don’s underboss is his oldest son, Santino. The operational side of the organization is headed by two caporegimes, Peter “Pete” Clemenza and Salvatore Tessio. Other significant members of the organization include enforcers Luca Brasi and Albert Neri and upcoming soldier Rocco Lampone.
