Mario Puzo

Age: 78

Summary: author who penned The Godfather, a bestseller that would later be made into one of the most popular movies of all-time, who also wrote the follow-up novels in the Godfather trilogy and several other books and screenplays, but who denied having any ties to the Mafia scene about which he so convincingly wrote.

Cause of Death: Heart failure

Born: October 15, 1920

Died: July 2, 1999

Location: West Bay Shore, New York