Quotes from Mario Puzo

I would trust you with my whole fortune," he told the president. "I would trust you with my life and the welfare of my children. It is inconceivable to me that you would ever trick me or otherwise betray me. My whole world, all my faith in my judgment of human character would collapse.

As bread is sweet to us," he said, "so is the blood of the poor to the rich who drink it." It

Lampone made a gesture that said he would be patient, knowing his reward was certain.

He wanted the world to believe that he was a horse rider. So let him ride his horses at the bottom of the ocean.

the premium put on virginity by socially primitive people. It was a period of sensuality that he had never before experienced, a sensuality mixed with a feeling of masculine power.

It was not necessary that he be your friend, it was not even important that you had no means with which to repay him. Only one thing was required. That you, you yourself, proclaim your friendship. And then, no matter how poor or powerless the supplicant, Don Corleone would take that man's troubles to his heart.

A belief in one's own virtue is far more dangerous than a belief in one's cunning.

For justice we must go on our knees to Don Corleone.

Santino, come here. What's the matter with you? I think your brain is going soft with all that comedy you are playing with that young girl. Never tell anyone outside the Family what you're thinking again. Go on.

We are not responsible to the .90 calibers the pezzonovantis who take it upon themselves to decide what we shall do with out lives, who declare wars they wish us to fight in to protect what they own... And who are they then to meddle when we look after our own interests? Sonna cosa nostra...these are our own affairs. We will manage our world for ourselves because it is our world, cosa nostra

How I would like that now, that sheer senseless falling in love with externals, the love never earned by qualities of goodness, of character, of intelligence, of wit, of charm, of life-force. In short, how I would like to be loved in a way never earned so that I would never have to keep earning it or work for it

Uxuriousness may be the last refuge of the honest man

I do not seek it or desire it. If I must, I will accept the punishment for all my sins.

It was presumptuous for one man to forgive another. That was the duty of God. For men to pretend such mercy was an idle pride and a lack of respect. He did not desire any such mercy for himself.

Did Jack Woltz have the balls to risk everything, to run the chance of losing all on a matter of principle, on a matter of honor; for revenge?

Yet he thought, if I die saying Life is beautiful, then nothing else is important.

he sells the souls in his keeping to the devil.

destiny had decided that he was to become a Don and had brought Fanucci to him to set him on his destined path.

you can't let other men impose their will on you or life's not worth living.

You know, it's a funny thing. You can smoke yourself to death, drink yourself to death, work yourself to death, and even eat yourself to death. But that's all acceptable. The only thing you can't do medically is screw yourself to death, and yet that's where they put all the obstacles.

no longer fearing the cost. "For justice we must go on our knees to Don Corleone.

Vi?as ?st? dz?ve bija lomas, ko vi?a t?loja, vi?a jut?s dz?v?ka, kad iedvesa dz?v?bu savos t?los, n?s?ja tos sev?, kam?r pati dz?voja savu parasto dz?vi.

Neri was content, satisfied that he lived in a world that properly rewarded a man who did his duty.

Writing, like gambling, was always a big part of my life," he used to say. "Both gave me sanctuary from the world. And you never really had to kill someone to get what you wanted. You just had to beat fate.