Consigliere is the Italian term for an adviser or counsellor. It is derived from the Latin consiliarius, from consilium, "advice." Some compound forms: Consigliere entered the popular English lexicon through Mario Puzo's Godfather novel and the subsequent films made from them. In these portrayals, the consigliere is an adviser or counselor to a mafia boss, with the additional responsibility of representing the Don in important meetings within the Don's crime family or with other crime families. The consigliere is a close, trusted friend and confidant. It is reputed that in Cosa Nostra, a consigliere is not simply an adviser; he may be the second highest ranking member of a family, second only to the Don -- in some aspects, he is seen as the Don's right-hand man. As in many royal courts in