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"Stay with me Godfather. Help me meet death. If he sees you, he will be frightened and leave me in peace. You can say a word, pull a few strings, eh? We'll outwit that bastard as we outwitted all those others."
―Genco Abbandando[src]

Genco Abbandando was the first consigliere of the Corleone family, and a childhood friend of Vito Corleone.

Biography[]

Genco and Vito

Genco and Vito in 1917.

Raised in Hell's Kitchen, Genco worked at his father's grocery store from an early age. He became firm friends with the hired hand, Vito Corleone, and was upset when Vito was moved out by the neighbourhood Don, Fanucci, even offering to steal from his father to help his jobless friend. Vito refused, saying this would be an offence to his father.

In the 1920s, Genco married Allegra, who bore him three daughters.

Consigliere[]

When Vito became the new Don of the neighborhood, he hired Genco to act as his consigliere, and named his front company 'Genco Pura' after his friend. Genco served him loyally, showing incredible insight. When Vito's son Sonny wanted to join the family business, the wily consigliere had the youth assigned to his father as a bodyguard so he could closely observe the family business, as well as be kept under Vito's control.

After the Olive Oil War, when Vito Corleone's power was secure, Genco and his family moved into a house on Vito's Long Beach estate.

Death[]

Vito and Genco

Genco, on his deathbed, in a deleted scene.

Genco remained an intelligent and active advisor until he was stricken with cancer, which made him bedridden and unable to act as the Don's advisor. During this time, Tom Hagen, Vito's adopted son, stood in for him. He died with the Don at his side in 1945, one day after Connie Corleone was married to Carlo Rizzi. All of the Don's sons and his godson Johnny Fontane had visited Genco earlier to pay their respects.

He was replaced as consigliere by Tom Hagen. Years later, in the 1970s, Genco's grandson, Dominic Abbandando, became Michael Corleone's press advisor.

Succession[]

"If I had a wartime consigliere, a Sicilian, I wouldn't be in this shape. Pop had Genco, look what I got."
Sonny Corleone[src]

Genco was succeeded as consigliere by Tom Hagen, Vito's adopted son, whose appointment was controversial due to his German-Irish heritage. Many, including Corleone foe Virgil Sollozzo, and occasionally even Sonny Corleone himself in a moment of anger, claimed that Genco, as a Sicilian, was more adept as a 'wartime consigliere'.

Behind the scenes[]

Notes and references[]

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