The Sicilian The Sicilian The Sicilian is a novel by Italian-American author Mario Puzo. Published in 1984 by Random House Publishing Group (), it is based on Puzo's most famous work, "The Godfather". It is regarded as "The Godfather"'s literary sequel. In this novel, the spelling of Salvatore Giuliano's name was intentionally changed by Puzo to "Guiliano". This novel, though a work of fiction, is based on the real life exploits of Giuliano. The novel opens in 1950 Sicily, where Michael Corleone, nearing the end of his exile in Sicily, meets with Don Croce Malo, the "Capo di Capi" or Boss of
The Sicilian Corleone compound in Long Island. He met with his father in private, and the Don told him that they would not release Guiliano's testament for fear Guiliano's parents would be harmed in retaliation by the Italian government or its Mafia supporters. In this, Don Corleone teaches his son his first lesson: it is better to remain alive and live a fruitful life, than to be dead and a hero. These are the principal characters that drive the plot of the story, many of whom are based on real-life figures. In 1987, "The Sicilian" was adapted into a film, directed by