Mário Puzo

Puzo's new novel is "The Last Don." He is best known for "The Godfather." This new book returns him to that genre: the inner workings of the Mafia. The main character is an old man trying to secure his family's future in an era of legalized gambling, motion picture investments and the threat of government informers. His goal is threatened by familial in-fighting. The two-time Academy Award winner has also written several screenplays, including are all three Godfathers and Superman I and II.

Francis Ford Coppola was 29 years old and broke when he was asked to direct The Godfather, based on the bestselling novel by Mario Puzo. The notes he kept for himself during the making of The Godfather have been collected into a new book.