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How Did Genco Get So Far?
#675069
11/08/12 02:02 PM
11/08/12 02:02 PM
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 11,468 With Geary in Fredo's Brothel
dontomasso
OP
Consigliere to the Stars
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OP
Consigliere to the Stars
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 11,468
With Geary in Fredo's Brothel
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The legendary Genco, predecessor to Tom Hagen, and always the model of the perfect consigliere with unparallelled Sicilian cunning, is only seen briefly in the films(I am not talking about the novel here). He is mentioned in GF I and appears in a deleted scene on his deathbed almost a supplicant, begging Vito to make some kind of deal with God to spare his life, and also in GFII as the son of the grocer who took young Vito in as long as he could. There was a brotherly relationship between young Vito and young Genco, but IMHO Genco comes off as kind of goofy. He's all infatuated with the girl who appears in the vaudeville show, and is otherwise clearly not Vito's equal intellectually or in the criminal world. He's a grocer's son and not much more. Vito's initial criminal dealings are with Clemenza and Tessio (and Roth in deleted scenes).
I can see Vito bringing Genco into the organization out of loyalty and so forth, but along the way Genco got really smart. What's the backstory there? How did he get from grocer's son, and brother figure to Vito, all the way to the greatest consigliere who ever lived?
Last edited by dontomasso; 11/08/12 03:46 PM.
"Io sono stanco, sono imbigliato, and I wan't everyone here to know, there ain't gonna be no trouble from me..Don Corleone..Cicc' a port!"
"I stood in the courtroom like a fool."
"I am Constanza: Lord of the idiots."
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Re: How Did Genco Get So Far?
[Re: dontomasso]
#675082
11/08/12 03:18 PM
11/08/12 03:18 PM
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Joined: May 2006
Posts: 773 Pittsburgh, PA
The Last Woltz
Underboss
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Underboss
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 773
Pittsburgh, PA
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I totally agree with your points, dt.
On a number of occasions I've posted that we don't see anything in the films demonstrating Genco's acumen. Even in flashbacks, we don't see Vito look to him for advice.
The "Genco is brilliant" school of thought seems to rest heavily on Sonny's "Pop had Genco look what I got" insult to Tom and, in the novel, Tom's assertion that "Genco would have smelled a rat" after the hit on Sonny.
My theory is that Genco was really not consigliere in a broad, strategic sense. Vito really seems to keep his own counsel. I don't see him talking strategy with Genco.
I see Genco's role as someone absolutely trustworthy who could get Vito information. As a shopkeeper's son, he probably knew the neighborhood very well. He could tell Vito what was brewing and give his impressions of the people involved.
As Vito's empire grew, Genco grew with it.
"A man in my position cannot afford to be made to look ridiculous!"
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Re: How Did Genco Get So Far?
[Re: dontomasso]
#675093
11/08/12 04:24 PM
11/08/12 04:24 PM
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Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 22,902 New York
SC
Consigliere
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Consigliere
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 22,902
New York
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I can see Vito bringing Genco into the organization out of loyalty and so forth, but along the way Genco got really smart. What's the backstory there? How did he get from grocer's son, and brother figure to Vito, all the way to the greatest consigliere who ever lived? Good question. I never thought of Genco as being so intelligent and cunning. If he was, he would have understood better about Fanucci being a free-lancer (as Vito figured it out). Instead, Genco was scared shitless of Fanucci.
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Re: How Did Genco Get So Far?
[Re: Turnbull]
#675242
11/08/12 09:50 PM
11/08/12 09:50 PM
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Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 22,902 New York
SC
Consigliere
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Consigliere
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 22,902
New York
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As for Genco being afraid of Fanucci: so were Clemm and Tess. And neither of those capos were known for their brains..... (and no crap about how Tessio was smarter. He wasn't smart enough to believe Don Vito near the end).
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