by B. » Thu Jun 05, 2025 5:00 pm
The admin is a command structure. Directives go from the boss to the underboss to the captains and back, and the consigliere is there to ensure this process runs fairly and smoothly. The boss and consigliere are traditionally elected positions while the boss has the right to name the underboss and captains he wishes. Sometimes the underboss is a loyal "alter ego" type figure to him, like Profaci naming his brother-in-law, while other times he might name someone from a different faction to balance political power in the org and maintain peace (i.e. Dellacroce). Sometimes it could be someone else who is simply seen as fit for or deserving of the role. With Dellacroce type underbosses, they're basically the acting boss of an entire faction, while other underbosses might just be there to stand in for the boss and little more. All captains might go through the underboss while in other arrangements some captains could report direct to the boss, others to the underboss, etc. or captains might meet with either one or both depending on the situation.
A few sources like Bill Bonanno, Melchiorre Allegra, and Stefano Maggadino have either stated or implied the consigliere was once the traditional stand-in as acting boss which makes sense given the consigliere was an elected role and supposed to be the ultimate neutral party. We do have examples of this, too. A good way to think of it might be to say the underboss is supposed to represent the boss while the consigliere represents the whole Family.
The consiglio is a committee consisting of the administration, select captains, and senior/respected soldiers, typically at least five individuals and likely no more than seven. The consiglio acts as a court for members accused of infractions, with each consiglio member voting on matters like murder, shelving, and anything else pertaining to a member's status. The consiglio also discusses wider org issues like member inductions and transfers as well as Family policy. Any issues that need the highest level of mediation are also handled by the consiglio. Consiglieri have the right to speak their mind freely, even to the boss, and each have a vote. The consiglio has a chairman or secretary who is akin to the official consigliere in Families that don't use the consiglio system, the duties of the consiglio being almost identicial to the duties of a singular consigliere but spread out among a group. Much like the boss and official consigliere, members are elected to the consiglio.
Being on the consiglio however does not automatically place someone in the chain of command. If someone is a boss, underboss, or captain in addition to sitting on the consiglio he is of course already in the chain of command but a soldier who sits on the consiglio does not technically "outrank" an ordinary soldier and doesn't give orders. If a soldier sits on the consiglio he of course can be authorized to give orders on their behalf, much as a soldier like Alderisio passed directives along as an authorized rep of the admin, but someone simply sitting on the consiglio does not put them directly in the chain of command. Their role pertains to big picture issues.
I actually like this basic bitch depiction where the consigliere is off to the side connected with a dotted line:
Difference is, I'd put another dotted line then connecting the consigliere down to the members. You could depict the consiglio on a chart similarly where it's off to the side or above the rest of the top-down hierarchy and connected by dotted lines.
The admin is a command structure. Directives go from the boss to the underboss to the captains and back, and the consigliere is there to ensure this process runs fairly and smoothly. The boss and consigliere are traditionally elected positions while the boss has the right to name the underboss and captains he wishes. Sometimes the underboss is a loyal "alter ego" type figure to him, like Profaci naming his brother-in-law, while other times he might name someone from a different faction to balance political power in the org and maintain peace (i.e. Dellacroce). Sometimes it could be someone else who is simply seen as fit for or deserving of the role. With Dellacroce type underbosses, they're basically the acting boss of an entire faction, while other underbosses might just be there to stand in for the boss and little more. All captains might go through the underboss while in other arrangements some captains could report direct to the boss, others to the underboss, etc. or captains might meet with either one or both depending on the situation.
A few sources like Bill Bonanno, Melchiorre Allegra, and Stefano Maggadino have either stated or implied the consigliere was once the traditional stand-in as acting boss which makes sense given the consigliere was an elected role and supposed to be the ultimate neutral party. We do have examples of this, too. A good way to think of it might be to say the underboss is supposed to represent the boss while the consigliere represents the whole Family.
The consiglio is a committee consisting of the administration, select captains, and senior/respected soldiers, typically at least five individuals and likely no more than seven. The consiglio acts as a court for members accused of infractions, with each consiglio member voting on matters like murder, shelving, and anything else pertaining to a member's status. The consiglio also discusses wider org issues like member inductions and transfers as well as Family policy. Any issues that need the highest level of mediation are also handled by the consiglio. Consiglieri have the right to speak their mind freely, even to the boss, and each have a vote. The consiglio has a chairman or secretary who is akin to the official consigliere in Families that don't use the consiglio system, the duties of the consiglio being almost identicial to the duties of a singular consigliere but spread out among a group. Much like the boss and official consigliere, members are elected to the consiglio.
Being on the consiglio however does not automatically place someone in the chain of command. If someone is a boss, underboss, or captain in addition to sitting on the consiglio he is of course already in the chain of command but a soldier who sits on the consiglio does not technically "outrank" an ordinary soldier and doesn't give orders. If a soldier sits on the consiglio he of course can be authorized to give orders on their behalf, much as a soldier like Alderisio passed directives along as an authorized rep of the admin, but someone simply sitting on the consiglio does not put them directly in the chain of command. Their role pertains to big picture issues.
I actually like this basic bitch depiction where the consigliere is off to the side connected with a dotted line:
[img]https://media.hswstatic.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJjb250ZW50Lmhzd3N0YXRpYy5jb20iLCJrZXkiOiJnaWZcL21hZmlhLXVwZGF0ZS0xMi5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjgyOH0sInRvRm9ybWF0IjoiYXZpZiJ9fQ==[/img]
Difference is, I'd put another dotted line then connecting the consigliere down to the members. You could depict the consiglio on a chart similarly where it's off to the side or above the rest of the top-down hierarchy and connected by dotted lines.