In 1969, THE GODFATHER began the American public fascination with the
Mafia. This Italian-American epic, featuring
patriarch Don Vito
Corleone, explores the brutal, lavish lifestyles of New York City''s mob
bosses: the struggles for power, the respect for family, love, and
loyalty, and the consequences of life built around murder, corruption,
and revenge. While its heady mixture of sex, violence, and "family"
values assured it a place atop the bestseller lists, it achieved
longevity through its treatment of mobsters as something more than
abstract monsters--as complex characters with hopes, dreams, and fears,
but who also just happen to be ruthless killers. It inspired countless
homages, tributes, knock-offs, and imitations across all forms of
popular media. Television shows like THE SOPRANOS and movies like GOOD FELLAS would never have been conceived without it. THE GODFATHER
was made into a hugely successful, Oscar-winning film in 1972.