'The Godfather' House – Staten Island Home On The Market For $2.9 Million

What is known as one of the best films of all time, "The Godfather", produced in 1972 established around family ties and crime - it is a movie that has remained unparalleled.

"The Godfather" received Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay that year at the Oscars, the New York crime family had a loaded cast of talent, although unknown at the time — Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall and Diane Keaton.

The story revealed the personal lives of the Mafia during the years between the 1940s and the 1960s and was primarily filmed in New York City — locations including Bellevue Hospital, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Calvary Cemetery and a 1930-built Staten Island Tudor - the home of Vito Corleone.

What is known as a classic today actually had a difficult time getting made when Paramount Pictures had purchased the rights to Mario Puzo's book based on the first 60 pages written in 1967. The book was not completed and/or published until 1969 and quickly became a hit — ending up on the New York Times best seller list for 67 weeks and selling over 10 million copies.

Paramount faced a roadblock in an attempt to find a director who would take on the project, over 10 directors turned down the opportunity and eventually Francis Ford Coppola was asked. Inititally, Coppola dismissed the offer, but when personal and business finances were suffering, he accepted the job.

The studio originally planned on filming the movie in Kansas on a $2.5 million budget, but Coppola convincingly raised the budget to $6.5 million and made plans for relocation to film in New York.

Marlon Brando played the character of Vito Corleone, who lived in the family home of Edward and Mary Norton in the Todt Hill neighborhood of Staten Island. Gianni Russo, who played the role of Vito's traitor son-in-law, made the recommendation of using the Nortons' home as he grew up in the neighborhood.

According to Top Ten Real Estate Deals, when Paramount approached the Nortons, Edward thought it was a joke and shut the door. Eventually Mrs. Norton chased them down the street and gave Paramount approval to use the house in return for a new slate roof!

Over the course of 18 months of filming, the Norton home had looked like a large compound, seamlessly blending five neighboring homes to seem like one large property. "Godfather" fans can best recall the home during the movie's opening garden wedding reception for Vito's daughter — the same scene with pop singer Johnny Fontane, who pleaded for the Godfather's help to land a Hollywood movie role.

The family home experienced a major renovation in 2012. The property is over a half acre and filled with luscious landscape, an in-ground saltwater pool and infrared grill. The 6,248-square-foot house features a modern cook's kitchen, a breakfast room and consists of five-bedrooms and seven-bathrooms.

Ideal for a well-sized family, the home also has two offices, fitness room, playroom and two fireplaces. The basement includes an English pub and a man cave area with game room, storage, bathroom and a four-car garage.

Interested buyers: no need to worry about any actual crime in the neighborhood, but just in case, the home has a state-of-the-art security system, sound system and intercom. The property is currently on the market for $2.895 million — seems inexpensive in comparison to the film that grossed $245 million.