Net Worth Ranker
What Is Mario Puzo’s Net Worth?
At the time of his death, Mario Puzo, the acclaimed author and screenwriter, had a net worth of $20 million. This figure primarily reflects his earnings from his literary works, most notably “The Godfather,” and his screenwriting contributions to its film adaptations, as well as other successful movies.
Early Life and Education
Mario Puzo was born on October 15, 1920, in New York City, to Italian immigrant parents hailing from the province of Avellino. He grew up in a large family with six siblings. When Puzo was 12 years old, his father was committed to Pilgrim State Hospital for schizophrenia, after which his mother, Maria, raised the children. During World War II, Puzo served in the United States Army Air Forces in Germany. After his military service, he pursued higher education and graduated from the City College of New York. Specific details regarding the financial contributions from his family towards his education or any scholarships he received are not publicly available.
Literary Career and “The Godfather” Phenomenon
Puzo’s literary journey began with the publication of his first novel, “The Dark Arena,” in 1955. This novel explored the experiences of an American World War II veteran returning to Germany to reunite with his girlfriend. His subsequent novel, “The Fortunate Pilgrim,” published in 1965, delved into the lives of an Italian immigrant family in New York City. In 1966, he also wrote a children’s novel, “The Runaway Summer of Davie Shaw,” and in 1967, he published “Six Graves to Munich” under the pseudonym Mario Cleri.
However, it was his 1969 crime novel “The Godfather” that catapulted him to international fame. The book centered around the fictional Corleone Mafia family’s operations in postwar New York City. “The Godfather” became a monumental success, spending 67 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list and selling over nine million copies within two years. While the exact breakdown of royalties and advances Puzo received for “The Godfather” is not publicly disclosed, its massive sales figures undoubtedly contributed significantly to his net worth.
Puzo later expanded on the “Godfather” universe with a sequel novel, “The Sicilian,” published in 1984. In between, he published “Fools Die” in 1978, a novel set in the worlds of publishing, gambling, and film, with a protagonist based on Puzo himself. “The Fourth K,” a novel set during the fictional presidency of a Kennedy family member, followed in 1990. In 1996, he published “The Last Don,” his last novel released during his lifetime, about an aging Mafia don and his family’s struggle to retain power. His posthumously released novels included “Omertà” (2000) and “The Family” (2001), the latter completed by Carol Gino.
Precise figures on the advances and royalties earned from each of these novels are not publicly available. However, it is clear that the sustained success of “The Godfather” and the subsequent popularity of his other works played a crucial role in building his $20 million net worth.
Screenwriting Career and Academy Awards
Puzo’s screenwriting career commenced with the adaptation of his novel “The Godfather” into a film directed and co-written by Francis Ford Coppola. The 1972 film, starring Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall, and Diane Keaton, was a critical and commercial triumph. It became the highest-grossing film of the year and garnered 11 Academy Award nominations, winning three, including Best Adapted Screenplay for Puzo and Coppola. “The Godfather” is now regarded as one of the greatest films in cinema history.
Puzo and Coppola collaborated again on “The Godfather Part II,” released in 1974. This sequel was another success, winning six Academy Awards, including a second Best Adapted Screenplay award for Puzo and Coppola, and Best Picture. While the specific financial agreements between Puzo, Coppola, and Paramount Pictures for these films remain private, it is certain that Puzo received substantial compensation for his screenwriting work, which contributed significantly to his net worth.
Puzo’s other screenwriting credits include the disaster drama “Earthquake” (1974), and he co-wrote the screenplays for the superhero film “Superman” (1978), and its sequel, “Superman II” (1980). In 1990, he and Coppola reunited for “The Godfather Part III,” which received seven Academy Award nominations. He also co-wrote the screenplay for “Christopher Columbus: The Discovery” (1992). Details on the specific amounts he was paid for these screenwriting projects are not publicly available.
Other Literary Works
Prior to his success with novels, Puzo published his first short story, “The Last Christmas,” in American Vanguard magazine in 1950. In the 1960s, under the pseudonym Mario Cleri, he wrote a number of World War II adventure stories for pulp magazines like Male and True Action. Also as Cleri, he wrote the nonfiction books “Test Yourself: Are You Heading for a Nervous Breakdown?” and “The Six Million Killer Sharks That Terrorize Our Shores.” Later works of nonfiction by Puzo include “The Godfather Papers and Other Confessions” (1972) and “Inside Las Vegas” (1977). While these earlier works contributed to his writing experience, their financial impact on his overall net worth would be less than his novels and screenwriting.
Personal Life and Death
Puzo was married to Erika Lina Broske from 1946 until her death from breast cancer in 1978. They had five children together. Later, Puzo had a relationship with his wife’s nurse, Carol Gino. Mario Puzo died of heart failure at his home in New York on July 2, 1999, at the age of 78. Specifics about his estate planning and how his $20 million net worth was distributed among his heirs have not been made public.
