Originally posted by YoTonyB:
Turnbull, on the subject of non-Italians in the role of consigliere or key adviser, add Murray "The Camel" Humphreys, whose role in the Chicago mob is often overshadowed by the Outfit bosses in Chicago during his lifetime. It's entirely possible his influence was downplayed or undervalued becaused of his heritage. None-the-less, it's easy to draw a parallel between "German-Irish" Tom Hagan and Welshman Murray Humphreys, both of whom wielded influence among their associates during the 1940's thru 1960's...though I would argue that Hump might have been more valuable in real life than Hagan was in fiction!
tony b.
Tony, that's an excellent point.
The Camel, born in Wales, was one of Capone's close guys (John Kobler, author of the best Capone bio, calls him "Robbery Expert"). He later ran the labor rackets for The Outfit. I would not have counted him as a consigliere because he ran operations on his own, and in any event, Big Tuna himself continued to be the consigliere (and more) even after he "retired." But there's no question that The Camel was highly influential to generations of Outfit leaders.
Who can say where the "official" consigliere leaves off, and "kitchen cabinet" advisers take over? Carmine Persico had several consiglieri, but the guy closest to him was his nominal bodyguard, Hugh (Apples) McIntosh.
