On a related note, I recall that Mario Puzo named the novel’s abortionist character Dr Jules Segal after his former colleague, fellow author Jules Siegel.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_Siegel
I do think that with the abortion storylines in both the novel and movie, Puzo was making the point that abortion was homicide analogous to the murders of convenience carried out by the gangsters.
You nailed it. The storyline was deep; the trilogy was a significant piece of American literature, not just cheap entertainment.