ger $6,500 for both novels combined. Puzo soon fell into debt and struggling to support his wife and five kids, Puzo became determined to get rich. Ten years later, after writing an outline for The Godfather, his chance came when an editor gave him a $5,000 advance to write a story of the Italian underworld ("Mario").
             Contrary to what many readers believed, Puzo's stories in The Godfather did not come from his first-hand involvement with the mob, but instead came from his observation of the mob in action in Hell's Kitchen. He also collected Mafia anecdotes from his mother, and conducted extensive research on the history, customs and traditions of the Mafia. Puzo had underworld gangsters approach him, requesting an introduction into the Italian organized crime business. ("Mario"). As soon as it was published, Puzo's novel became a huge success, staying on The New York Times bestseller list for 67 weeks ("Mario"). The book earned him lots of money, and transformed him into one of the most famous writers of the century. He would later write four more books about the Mafia, but none became as renowned as The Godfather. In fact, the book was so popular that three movies were based on its stories. Puzo's novel inspired a new trend of novels about organized crime.
             Puzo's novel enjoyed such great success largely due to its exciting, fast-paced plot. The story centers on the Corleone mafia "family" in the boroughs of New York City in the mid 1940s. At first, the aging Don Vito Corleone, the Godfather, who the reader first meets at his daughter's wedding, giving out favors in return for loyalty, dominates the story. Later in plot, the dominance of the Corleone family, who follow no laws and commit treacherous crimes, is threatened by the rise of modern criminal activities, namely the drug trade. When the Don refuses an offer from a rival gang, war ensues. The family mu...