Consigliere ( , ; plural ) is a position within the

leadership Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The word "leadership" often gets view ...

structure of the Sicilian, Calabrian, and

Italian-American Mafia The American Mafia, commonly referred to in North America as the Italian American Mafia, the Mafia, or the Mob, is a highly organized Italian American criminal society and organized crime group. The organization is often referred to by its mem ...

. The word was popularized in English by the novel ''

The Godfather ''The Godfather'' is a 1972 American crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mario Puzo, based on Puzo's best-selling 1969 novel of the same title. The film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, ...

'' (1969) and its film adaptation. In the novel, a consigliere is an advisor or counselor to the

boss Boss may refer to: Occupations * Supervisor, often referred to as boss * Air boss, more formally, air officer, the person in charge of aircraft operations on an aircraft carrier * Crime boss, the head of a criminal organization * Fire boss, a ...

, with the additional responsibility of representing the boss in important meetings both within the boss's crime family and with other crime families. The consigliere is a close, trusted friend and confidant, the mob's version of an elder statesman. They are an advisor to the boss in a Mafia crime family, and sometimes is their "right-hand man". By the very nature of the job, a consigliere is one of the few in the family who can argue with the boss, and is often tasked with challenging the boss when needed, to ensure subsequent plans are foolproof.Capeci, Jerry. ''The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Mafia''
Indianapolis: Alpha Books, 2002. , p. 9. In some depictions, he is devoid of ambition and dispenses disinterested advice. This passive image of the consigliere does not correspond with what little is known of real-life consiglieri. The

underboss Underboss ( it, sottocapo) is a position within the leadership structure of certain organized crime groups, particularly in Sicilian, Greek, and Italian-American Mafia crime families. The underboss is second in command to the boss. The underbo ...

, and consigliere constitute the top three positions and a three-man ruling panel, or "administration". The

Genovese crime family The Genovese crime family, () also sometimes referred to as the Westside, is an Italian-American Mafia crime family and one of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City and New Jersey as part of the American M ...

are credited with inventing the rank of messaggero, who is tasked with serving as a liaison among the other American Mafia families.

Etymology

In Italian, ''consigliere'' means "advisor" or "counselor" and is still a common title for members of city councils in Italy and

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

. It is derived from the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

''consiliarius'' (advisor) and ''consilium'' (advice). The terminology of the American Mafia is taken from that of the Sicilian Mafia, and suggests that an analogy is intended to imitate the court of a medieval Italian principality. For example,

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

was led by a ''

doge A doge ( , ; plural dogi or doges) was an elected lord and head of state in several Italian city-states, notably Venice and Genoa, during the medieval and renaissance periods. Such states are referred to as " crowned republics". Etymology The ...

'' ("duke") and a ''consigliere ducale'' (advisor to the doge). An underboss will normally move up to boss when the position becomes vacant, so his position is equivalent to that of an heir to the throne. Consigliere, meanwhile, is analogous to chief minister or chancellor. In the novel ''

'' the word is spelled ''consigliori''. In the films, it is clearly pronounced ''consigliere''.

Joe Bonanno Joseph Charles Bonanno (born Giuseppe Carlo Bonanno; ; January 18, 1905 – May 11, 2002), sometimes referred to as Joe Bananas, was an Italian-American crime boss of the Bonanno crime family, which he ran from 1931 to 1968. Bonanno was born i ...

explains in his book ''A Man of Honor'' that a consigliere is more the voice or representative of the soldiers of the family, and that he may help to mediate in or resolve disputes on behalf of the lower echelons of the family.

American Mafia

Joe Valachi Joseph Michael Valachi (September 22, 1904 – April 3, 1971) was an American mobster in the Genovese crime family who is notable as the first member of the Italian-American Mafia to acknowledge its existence publicly in 1963. He is credited wit ...

mentions a mysterious "Sandino" arbitrating disputes as the

Genovese family The Genovese crime family, () also sometimes referred to as the Westside, is an Italian-American Italian-American Mafia, Mafia crime family and one of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City and New Jersey as ...

consigliere in the 1940s.Maas, Peter,
The Valachi papers
', p. 158. ("Sandino was a greaseball, but he had a wise head.") Consiglieri in more recent times have tended to take a more active role in family affairs. In 1971,

Colombo family The Colombo crime family (, ) is an Italian American Mafia crime family and is the youngest of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City within the criminal organization known as the American Mafia. It was duri ...

consigliere Joseph Yacovelli directed a murder campaign against renegade Colombo family soldier Joseph "Crazy Joe" Gallo. Two decades later, another Colombo consigliere,

Carmine Sessa Carmine Sessa, alias Carmine Marletta (born 1951) is an Italian-American mobster and former consigliere of the Brooklyn-based Colombo crime family and played a key role in the family from 1991 to 1993. He later became a government witness. Biog ...

, led a hit team that attempted to assassinate the acting boss,

Victor Orena Vittorio "Little Vic" Orena (born August 4, 1934) is a New York City mobster who became the acting boss of the Colombo crime family. A challenge by Orena to boss Carmine Persico triggered one of the bloodiest Mafia wars of the late 20th century, ...

Frank Bompensiero Frank "Bomp" Bompensiero (October 29, 1905 – February 10, 1977) was a Mafia hitman and longtime caporegime in the Los Angeles crime family. In 1956, with the death of boss Jack Dragna, Bompensiero was demoted to the rank of soldier by the new ...

was appointed consigliere of the

Los Angeles crime family The Los Angeles crime family, also known as the L.A. Mafia or the Southern California crime family, is an Italian-American organized crime syndicate based in Los Angeles as part of the larger Italian-American Mafia. Since its inception in the earl ...

in 1976, only to be murdered in a public phone booth in February 1977. His boss had promoted Bompensiero so as to induce him to let his guard down. Electronic surveillance in 1979 recorded New England Mafia boss Raymond L.S. Patriarca talking about appointing his consigliere, so the position need not be chosen as a result of a consensus-seeking process. When New Jersey consigliere Stefano "Steve the Truck Driver" Vitabile discovered in 1992 that his family's underboss, John "Johnny Boy" D'Amato, was bisexual, he ordered him killed. Paul Gulino, a drug dealer and associate of the

Bonanno crime family The Bonanno crime family (pronounced ) is an Italian-American Mafia crime family and one of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City, and in the United States, as part of the criminal phenomenon known as the A ...

, was murdered in 1993 after he allegedly "put hands" on his family's consigliere Anthony Spero.

James Ida James Ida also known as "Little Guy" (born 1940) is an American mobster and former consigliere of the Genovese crime family. Ida was born to first generation immigrants from Lombardy. Growing up in the Little Italy neighborhood of Manhattan, Ne ...

, the current Genovese consigliere, has been serving a life sentence since 1996.

Dominick Cirillo Dominick "Quiet Dom" Cirillo (born July 4, 1929 in East Harlem) is a high-ranking member of the Genovese crime family, who briefly served as acting boss for the imprisoned Boss Vincent "Chin" Gigante. Early life Cirillo was born in East Harl ...

is the family's acting consigliere.

Joseph Corozzo Joseph "Jo Jo" Corozzo, Sr. (born 1942 in Brownsville, Brooklyn) is a New York mobster who was the reputed consigliere of the Gambino crime family. Biography Background Joseph Corozzo's brother Nicholas "Little Nick" Corozzo was the alleged one ...

is the current Gambino consigliere, while Anthony Rabito is consigliere for the

. As these examples illustrate, modern consiglieri are generally former soldiers and capos, not outside advisors.

Notable consigliere

* Mike Miranda * Joseph N. Gallo *

Ilario Zannino Ilario Maria Antonio Zannino (June 15, 1920 – February 27, 1996) was an American Gangster, mobster who was a member of the Patriarca crime family. Zannino was said to be the third-highest-ranking figure in the Boston faction of the Patriarca ...

Anthony Graziano Anthony A. Graziano (November 12, 1940 – May 25, 2019) was an American mobster and consigliere in the Bonanno crime family. Bonanno crime family Captain In 1990, Graziano pleaded guilty to federal tax evasion. He had failed to pay $100,000 t ...

Christopher Furnari Past member(s) Joseph Abate Joseph "Joe" Abate (July 8, 1902 – 1994) was a capo in the family's New Jersey faction. In the 1920s, Abate served as an enforcer for Al Capone in Chicago before settling in New Jersey.Raab, p.1-3 In June 1976, Ab ...

Anthony Spero Anthony "Old Man" Spero (February 18, 1929 – September 29, 2008) was an Italian-American mobster who rose to the position of consigliere and acting boss of the Bonanno crime family. Biography "Spero was a large man with dark hair, a dark comple ...

Joseph DiNapoli Current members Ray Argentina Ray Argentina is a soldier in the Brooklyn faction. His younger brother Peter Argentina is an associate in the family. In 1992, Argentina along with Louis Daidone, Alan Taglianetti and Robert Molinelli were found gu ...

Etymology

American Mafia

Notable consigliere

References

Further reading