Mario Puzo

“Friendship is everything. Friendship is more than talent. It is more than the government. It is almost the equal of family.”

Introducing the mob to a mainstream audience, Mario Puzo has become a household name in the genre of crime fiction. His fourth novel, The Godfather, launched Puzo into the public spotlight and his story of the Corleone family became a hit with readers. Puzo later collaborated on the screenplay for the film adaptation with director Francis Ford Coppola, earning an Oscar for best adapted screenplay. Coppola and Puzo later reunited for The Godfather’s two sequels, and Puzo continued his successful career as both an author and a screenwriter until his death in 1999.

At RR Auction, Puzo items have gone for astonishing prices and collectors are always seeking pieces relating to his iconic works. RR Auction has offered a few copies of The Godfather signed by Puzo, but in July 2017 another copy hit the auction block. This copy featured Puzo’s signature with a familiar quote  – “For Joe Collins, ‘An offer you can’t refuse,’ Best wishes, Mario Puzo.” Puzo’s inclusion of Don Corleone’s famous threat made this one of the finest examples of a Puzo autograph that RR Auction has offered.

In February 2016, RR Auction had the honor of offering a monumental archive of 45 boxes of Puzo’s work. Spanning 50 years of work, included in the archive was personal correspondence, several early drafts, and manuscripts that chronicled the development of his nine screenplays and ten novels beginning with first novel The Dark Arena and ending with his final book Omerta. “Among the gems are a March 7, 1970, letter from Puzo to Marlon Brando broaching the idea of him starring in a movie version of the novel…Also included are nine partial in-progress copies of the original Godfather script that are full of Puzo’s (and director Francis Ford Coppola’s) hand-written annotations,” According to The Hollywood Reporter. Originally estimated to sell for $400,000, this one-of-a-kind archive realized $612,500, a testament to the indelible impact of Puzo’s writings on Italian-American culture.

Puzo’s literary reputation and cultural impact make his auction lots much more desirable, so take us up on our offer and consign your memorabilia with RR Auction! We’re happy to take your call at 800-937-3880 or click our consign button below to fill out our consignment form.