Mario Puzo Books in Order

Mario Puzo is a renowned American author, born to a family of Neapolitan immigrants living in the iconic Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of New York. His heritage heavily influences many of his works. After graduating from the City College of New York, he joined the United States Army Air Forces in World War II, where his poor eyesight relegated him to a public relations officer stationed in Germany. Puzo's early writing career began with the publication of his first short story, The Last Christmas, in American Vanguard in 1950. His first book, The Dark Arena, followed in 1955. He later worked as a writer/editor for Magazine Management Company, penning pulp titles like Male, True Action, and Swank under the pseudonym Mario Cleri. Puzo's most celebrated work, The Godfather, was published in 1969, drawing from his experiences in pulp journalism, where he gathered anecdotes about Mafia organizations. The novel's massive success catapulted Puzo to international fame, solidifying his position as a masterful storyteller.