Ms. Gino, welcome here and I hope you'd have the chance to "drop by" more often.

My questions aren't regarding The Family. They're more about the late Mr. Puzo (RIP).

Introduction to Question 1

I've always thought that there was a great resemblence between Mr. Puzo and the Writer/Author Earnst Vail in The Last Don. Some of the similarities that come to mind are:

1] Both were originally Book writers who diverged into movie-scripts from time-to-time.

2] Both had their first-best-selling novel made into movies. Those movies (in both cases) consisted of more than one part/movie.

3] Both were emotionally involved with female lawyers. In Earnst Vail's case, Molly Flanders wasn't an exclusive relationship (I mean no offence here...sorry for any possible misunderstanding.)

4] Both were gamblers. I heard that Mr. Puzo (RIP), like Earnst Vail, was a not-so-good a gambler.

Question 1:
Anyway, my question is as follows: As far as you know, would it be possible for Mr. Puzo (RIP) to have felt a little-bit cheated by Parammount Pictures like Earnst Vail was on his best-selling novel? The reason I'm asking this is because the "movie companies" in both "The Last Don" and "Omerta" (to a lesser extent) are described to be corrupted to a great extent. At first I thought Mr. Puzo had a personal Vendetta against them.

The idea of Vail's hiers having the right to a big-share of any "sequel-movie-revenue" sounds real genuine. Is it the case with Mr. Puzo and The Godfather novel?

Introduction to Question 2

It's mentioned everywhere that Mr. Puzo does a lot of research regarding many details of his books. I have read an interview with Mr. Puzo (RIP) in which he mentions that "...The character of Vito Corleone is completely fiction. I have never met an honest gangster..." (I have made that quote from memory. I haven't read that interview for several months now.)

Question 2:

Aparently in his research (and if that interview was accurate), Mr. Puzo met and got to know (even if on a brief, and on a research-related basis) some so-called "gangsters". Did he ever speak of who he met? Were those "gangsters" publicly known or where they "small-time-gangsters"? Is it possible that you mention any names, if you know of any?

I also remember Mr. Puzo (in an interview) saying: "...those guys (American Mafia people) wouldn't last one day in Sicily...." If I remember correctly, he was remarking on the American's careless display of their wealth and anger. Do you know of any "Sicilian" Mafia people that Mr. Puzo could've compared those American Mafia members with? Did he know, or was he in contact with such Sicilian people?

Introduction to Question 3:

I'm not sure of the credibility of my information as I can't remember where/when I read/heard that it was a Co-author who put the finishing touches on Omerta. Of course, if my information in incorrect about a "co-author", then please ignore this question.

Question 3: Is it true that someone assisted Mr. Puzo (RIP) in finishing Omerta? Who decided on that particular person to participate in the book? Do you know around which part of the book, that person's contribution started to dominate?

Question 4
Several sources that I have come across have mentioned Salvatore Guiliano as being nick-named "Turrido". Do you have any idea as to why Mr. Puzo nick-named Salvatore Guiliano "Turi" in The Sicilian? I think that "Turi" sounds more child-fitting than "Turrido", to my non-Italian ears. Was that Mr. Puzo's objective; to emphasize Salvatore's innocence and child-like nature? In other sources, most people named "Salvatore" would be nick-named "Sal" or "Sally" (as Tessio in GF or Sal in Dog Day Afternoon). Was using a similar "Sal" variation in The Sicilian an option for Mr. Puzo as far as you know?

I do apologize for the long post (I can go on asking forever) and if it included any inconvenient/offensive remarks or questions.

Thank you again for visiting this board and I really wish that you'd be able to do so more often.

[ September 18, 2001: Message edited by: Sonny ]