A Mafia term meaning councilor or advisor who advises the Don. Represented by Tom Hagen and Genco Abbandando in Puzo’s novel, the consigliere also mediates disputes within the family and represents the family in meetings with other crime families. The consigliere also acts as liaison between the crime family and other key figures, such as business and labor leaders, judges, and politicians. In terms of hierarchy, the consigliere’s power is third beneath the Don and his underboss. He is the only figure within the family permitted to dispute the Don’s decisions.
Consigliere Quotes in The Godfather
The The Godfather quotes below are all either spoken by Consigliere or refer to Consigliere. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 8
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“Even the shooting of your father was business, not personal. You should know that by now.”
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Chapter 12
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“But you can’t get sore at him. It’s like getting sore at God.”
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Chapter 19
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She was quite content not to share the pain of her men, after all did they share the pain of women?
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Consigliere Term Timeline in The Godfather
The timeline below shows where the term Consigliere appears in The Godfather. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1
...an affair despite being a married man. From inside Don Corleone’s office, the acting Family Consigliere (advisor), Tom Hagen, gives the Don the list of men who will meet with him.
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...Corleone brings his three sons and Johnny Fontane to the hospital to visit the old Consigliere, Genco Abbandando, who is dying of cancer. Before he leaves for the hospital, Michael tells...
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...admits that such an act is beyond his power, but he stays with the old Consigliere until he passes away. Later that evening, Gatto and Clemenza drive Kay back to her...
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Chapter 14
...He then opens his own olive oil importing business, Genco Pura, named after his new Consigliere. Although it is nominally a “legitimate” business, Vito strong-arms storeowners to carry his oil and...
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...to him. He also formalizes the major hierarchies in his crime family by making Genco Consigliere, Tessio and Clemenza his caporegimes, and putting “layers of insulation between himself and any operational...
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Chapter 16
...curses “that goddamn Sonny and his temper” and reports the incident to Tom Hagen. The Consigliere worries that the Corleone Family’s enemies might learn of Sonny’s location, so he orders Clemenza...
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Chapter 17
...ruthlessness hampers their fighting ability. Tom Hagen is also not suited to be a wartime Consigliere due to his preference for negotiation over violence. Moreover, Sonny is unable to address these...
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Chapter 19
...conference room and begins shaking. He understands now that he is not a fit wartime Consigliere, that the other families had fooled him by waiting patiently “to land one terrible blow”...
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...I saw my caporegimes coming to the house and it is midnight,” he says. “So, Consigliere of mine, I think you should tell your Don what everyone knows.” Hagen delivers the...
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Chapter 27
...this disrespect towards the Corleone Family. He explains that he has reduced Tom’s position from Consigliere to Family lawyer, and he urges Moe, “don’t insult people who are trying to help...
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Chapter 28
...the Corleones and start their own crime Families. Michael also reveals Tom is “out” as Consigliere. Tessio wants to add more men to his regime to fend off encroachment from the...
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...business, to which Michael responds that he is simply not fit to be a “wartime” Consigliere. Don Corleone tells Hagen that he must respect Michael’s wishes. “I never thought you were...
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Chapter 29
...is a “royal” occasion. The Dons of the Five Families attend with their caporegimes and Consiglieres, and a small army of Don Corleone’s friends come to pay their respects. Amerigo Bonasera...
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