Carol Gino - Me and Mario: Love, Power & Writing with Mario Puzo, author of The Godfather

An impressively forthcoming reminiscence full of creative insight. Much of the remembrance recounts captivating conversations between the author and Puzo, which provide an extraordinarily candid look at the man and his work."

Kirkus Reviews

"Gino delivers a readable, intimate look at an important figure in 20th century popular culture. Puzo fans will appreciate this book, as will anyone interested in how two strong personalities can flourish together."

Blueink Review

Carol Gino, the other half of the Mario and Carol duo, has written a luminous portrait of the enchantment that happens when two people love deeply, work together on all levels and co-create wonders of living and invention.

Jean Houston

"This book is about life, living and creativity... Far more than just being about two peopleit is a textbook on life and all its emotions, from pain to joy. Its a book with a heart."

Bernie Siegel, MD, author of 365 Prescriptions For The Soul and Love Medicine and Miracles

"Beautifully written! The magic of conversation, the magic of exchanging philosophiesthe true magic of love. I sobbed and laughed along with them. Quite honestly, I've been holding back finishingunlike mebecause I want everything to last longer"

Lou Ann Walker, author of A Loss for Words

"These two unique souls make a union like no other.... It should be hard to capture this dynamic on the page, except Carol does it here so effortlessly. I knew both as writers but never knew what a love story they lived together. Until now."

Joni Evans, editor, publisher, literary agent

Also by Carol Gino

The Nurses Story

Rustys Story

Then an Angel Came

Theres an Angel in my Computer

The Yardsale of Life: The 8 Coats of Meaning

Where Dreams Come True

The Family by Mario Puzo,

completed by Carol Gino

Me and Mario

Me and Mario

Love, Power & Writing

with Mario Puzo,

author of The Godfather

Carol Gino

Texas and New York

Copyright 2018 Carol Gino

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Printed in the United States of America

First Printing, 2018

ISBN 13-PB 978-1-936530-33-5

ISBN 13-Kindle 978-1-936530-40-3

ISBN 13 ePUB 978-1-936530-35-9

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018961645

Editor: Dusan Leon-Citic

Cover design: Aldren Gamalo

Cover design: Angelia Mansfield

Published by aaha! Books LLC

173 KLBJ RD

Smithville, TX 78957

www.carolgino.com

www.meandmario.com

For Mario

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank everyone who has helped me in the writing of this book, especially my brilliant editor, Dusan Leon-Citic, who managed to convince me that less is more and helped me carve the angel from the stone.

To my Creative Director, Angelia Mansfield, who helps turn my words into visual art and keeps my website running and me grounded.

For Pinkie Bechtol and Janet Lee who read this story over and over all the years that we lived it.

I owe a debt of gratitude to both Judith Regan and Joni Evans who encouraged me to keep working on my story no matter what, and offered help when I needed it. To Mari who found the pictures and the typos. To Hillary Schupf, Shari Griswold, and Jessica Wani, who helped me get the word out.

I am more than grateful to Marios family, my friends and my familyboth here and in Serbiafor helping me and inspiring me to keep at it.

Of course, for Lynn, who is more than friend, more than family, and who manages my life always, but especially when Im writing my books! And for my sister, Bibs, who always told me the truth!

To everyone else who has been a part of my journey, I thank you. I am grateful for the part you played.

Prologue

The Mario Puzo I got to know intimately over the 20 years we worked and played togetheras lovers and best buddieswas much more than the mafia man his readers thought him to be. Yet, he did possess the same intelligence, cunning, and strategic thinking he gave Don Corleone in his book The Godfather. He was as devoted to family, as reasonable, and as wary of betrayal.

In time, I found that Mario was even more unique and complex than any of the characters he created. And certainly funnier. He had a real understanding of people, and endless patience. In all the years we spent together, I dont remember hearing him say an unkind word about anyone.

In truth, he had several extraordinary gifts. He had true vision with the ability to see into the future and to distill the most complex ideas into simple concepts and language that anyone could understand. In the time we spent together, he taught me much more about life, love, power and writing than I had ever hoped to learn.

Its Pygmalion with a twist, a different kind of love story, that I feel I have to tell. Why? Because in todays world which lacks so much real magic, genuine passion, compassion, and true romance, Mario and I managed to sustain it. He was an authentic grownup who never forgot the value of his own heart, or the dreams he had as a child. And he helped me learn to value mine.

But dont misunderstand, there were still times we drove each other crazy and we did fight. Well, maybe thats not completely true, I fought with him, and he struggled to understand what I was trying to say. For in truth, we came from different species. He was, after all, a man, and I was, after all, a woman.

Mario taught me more than any other man that a relationship is not only about love, it is also about power. Power in all its disguises was something Mario truly understood. That was an aspect of human nature that fascinated him. His exploration of it was the basis of all his stories. He explained to me, more than once, that the kind of power he explored was the kind of power men admired. That was power in the outside world.

He insisted that women were expert in a different kind of power. They knew more about inner power, and that was the kind of power he and I could study. It was the understanding of power in the outside world that he tried to foster in me. It was the inner power of women that he wanted to learn.

Without a balance of power, there cant be equality in any relationship, he explained. You want equality for women, right?

Actually, I want equality, I said. I dont want women to get more money or more breaks than men. That throws the equality thing off again, I explained.

Mostly, I got it, and when I didnt, it was because he was, after all, a man, and I am, after all, a woman.

That we managed to love each other and understand each other in spite of that was in itself a miracle. That we were able to learn from and respect each other was an even greater miracle.

Mario often said he believed men would become extinct.

No, no, they wont, I said, impassioned. I cant believe that.

He smiled when he said, Why? When women can do everything men can, then why will they need men?

For the differences they offer, I told him. For their infuriating differences. They still make the world interesting. Besides, Id rather compete with men, it makes the game more fun.

How do you think men can be saved? he asked me, and I could see he was sincere.

In a fervor, I told him, Women have to stop treating men as men, and begin treating them as they treat other women. Then we can respect them. By manipulating them we just rob them of their chance. Then we lose our chance to see them for all they can be.