The Last Don is the most ambitious novel of Puzo's legendary career, the product of five years of work and a lifetime of research into the mores of the mob, Vegas, and Hollywood.

The last don is Domenico Clericuzio, a ferocious old man who is determined to secure his family's future in an era of legalized gambling, motion-picture investments, and the threat of government informers. The don is close to achieving his vision when secrets buried in his family's past threaten to undermine his plan and spark a war between two blood cousins.