This
paper explains that the three films in Coppola's Godfather saga, which is set in the world of the American Mafia throughout
most of the Twentieth Century, explore the similarities between family and
business interests as fundamental aspects of human behavior. The
paper states that "The Godfather" (1972) tells the story of the end of Don Vito Corleone's reign as head of the family in the late 1940s. The author points out that "The Godfather, Part II" (1974) continues this story with his son Michael's transfer of the family business to Lake Tahoe and Las Vegas in the 1950s, and is intercut with the early years of Don Vito, from his childhood in Sicily to his rise to power in New York City. The paper continues that "The Godfather, Part III" (1990) presents the aging Michael and his struggle to legitimize the family's business while powerful forces, including his nephew Vincent Mancini, try to pull him back into crime.