One of the most pathetic characters in the Godfather trilogy other than Fredo is someone usually not thought about – Tom Hagen, the consigliere to the Corleone Family. If you watch the series carefully, you’ll see he doesn’t really offer much good counsel and serves mostly as a glorified errand boy. Some will make excuses he’s not a wartime consigliere but that’s a copout. I’d even go as far as to pin Sonny’s death on him as well as others. It is telling that Michael removes him from his post and relies solely on his father as his consigliere. Michael says he has no better one.

I can’t remember whether this is in the book or movie but there is a key piece of dialogue where Sonny tells Tom that he wished he had a more effective consigliere like his father. That man was Genco Abbadando.

He’s not really featured in the first movie. He’s only in a deleted scene where the Don pays him a last visit on his deathbed.

Rather, we see a young Genco in the second movie where you see his loyalty to Vito. The book describes in more detail how he subtly and effectively advises the Family. He knows how to pull the strings for the one who pulls the strings.

He is worth his weight in gold. Priceless and irreplaceable.

Everyone needs a Genco in their lives.

I looked for one for a good portion of mine even as I played that role for many.

Who was my Genco?

It was a few people but not one person. Even now, the role is filled by a few good men and women but for different purposes.

At the end of the day, like Michael, my true consigliere was my Father. No better one.

As my children mature, I hope to play that role. I did see and experience quite a bit. And I know how to also do quite a bit.

We should all be fortunate to look for and find Genco.