I have to agree. Tried reading the Godfather several times. It's no wonder Coppola tossed out about half the book to make the movie. Chapter after chapter on Johnny Fontane and bizarre Hollywood characters. I think Hollywood is where Puzo's wits lie. I'm guessing all the Profaci/Colombo guys hanging around the set deserve the most to credit for the realism in I and II.

"...the successful annihilation of organized crime's subculture in America would rock the 'legitimate' world's foundation, which would ultimately force fundamental social changes and redistributions of wealth and power in this country. Meyer Lansky's dream was to bond the two worlds together so that one could not survive without the other." - Dan E. Moldea