"The Godfather" - Five Families Meeting Quiz

Answer:

Mario Puzo's "The Godfather" was published in 1969 and took the Italian author three years to write. The novel forever changed Puzo's life as it became a New York Times best seller and became the theme for some of the greatest motion pictures of all-time. Midway through the novel, Don Corleone is called to a secret meeting of the heads of the Five Families in New York City. The heads of the mafia families and their chief associates gathered in a board room and invited Don Corleone to discuss the narcotics problem. Many people were dying from either taking the drugs, selling the narcotics, or the backlash from law enforcement from these illegal sales. Many in the Five Families were profiting greatly and wanted to amp up the sales. Don Corleone was a powerful head and begged to differ with the direction they wanted to take.

During the conversation, Corleone mentioned a "selfish" reason for compromising with the other families. His son, Michael, was living in Italy after a shooting of a New York City police officer. Corleone wanted his son to be able to return to the United States and cleared of all charges. He didn't want bad blood with the police department and was concerned involvement in the underground narcotics business could affect his safe return. But the gist of Don Corleone's speech is one of bringing the Families together peacefully and to slow down the violence.