Made man
Encyclopedia
A made man, also known as a Mafioso (plural: Mafiosi), made guy, man of honor, or uomo d'onore (plural: uomini d'onore), is someone who has been officially inducted into the Sicilian
or American Mafia
(Cosa Nostra). They may also be referred to by some as a goodfella or wiseguy. However, these terms are also used in reference to closely connected "non-made" associates of the Mafia.
(preferably Sicilian
) descent. Today, it is believed that this requirement has been loosened so that males of half Italian descent through their father's line can also be inducted. Other sources say that a half-Italian through his mother's line can also be acceptable if he has an Italian surname. Because many third and fourth generation Italian Americans have non-Italian ancestry (due to the mixing of ethnic groups commonplace in the United States
), having an Italian surname seems to have become the prerequisite for Mafia membership.
Some examples of made members who are not of full Italian descent include John A. Gotti, whose mother was of Russian descent, and "Cadillac" Frank Salemme
, former boss of the Patriarca
family in Providence, Rhode Island
, who was half Irish
. Another example was Johnny Rocco who was made under the Gambino crime family
in 1952. Johnny adopted the name 'Rocco' in 1943 out of homage to his Italian employers, prior to that Johnny was known under the name of Hing and had part German and Mongolian descent.
An associate of a crime family who was in the police force or attended a police academy cannot become a made member of the mafia. For example, DeMeo crew member Henry Borelli could never become a made man in the Gambino family, since he had taken the New York City Police Department
entrance exam in the early 1970s
. However, an exception to this rule includes Scarfo crime family
capo
Ron Previte, who was a former member of the Philadelphia police force.
Before being inducted, a potential made man is required to carry out a contract killing
; any murders committed for personal reasons "do not count" in this respect. Committing one's first contracted killing is referred to as "making your bones." Until the 1980s, one only had to be involved in a murder (such as driving the getaway car) in order to fulfill the requirements. It was not until the Donnie Brasco trials, which revealed that the Mafia was about to make undercover FBI agent Joe Pistone, that a rule was made that potential inductees must actually perform a killing.
When introducing one made man to another, the phrase "a friend of ours" is used, indicating that he is a member and business can be discussed openly with him. If the person being introduced is an associate or civilian to whom business should not be mentioned, the phrase "a friend of mine" is used instead. Made men are the only ones who can rise through the ranks of Cosa Nostra, from soldier
to caporegime
("capo" for short), "consigliere
," "underboss
" and "boss
".
, a potential made man must now have at least two sponsors, rather than only one as in the time before the Brasco operation. The sponsor knows the associate and vouches for his good character and abilities. Although a capo or other senior member(s) will determine the prospective member's credibility, ultimately the decision lies with the boss of the family into which he will be inducted.
When the crime family "opens the books" (accepts new members), an associate will get a call telling him to get ready and dressed. He will then be picked up and taken to the room where the ceremony will take place, alone or with other accepted candidates. An inductee will be required to take the oath of Omertà
, the mafia code of silence. Though the ceremony varies from family to family, it usually involves the pricking of the trigger finger of the inductee, then dripping blood onto a picture of a Saint
, typically St. Francis of Assisi or the Virgin Mary, which is then set alight in his hand and kept burning until the inductee has sworn the oath of loyalty to his new "family," e.g., "As this card burns, may my soul burn in Hell if I betray the oath of Omertà," or "As burns this saint, so will burn my soul. I enter alive and I will have to get out dead."
(Italian: soldato), he is given certain responsibilities and privileges. The made man now enjoys the full protection and backing of the mafia establishment as long as he remains in favor and earns enough money, of which a percentage is passed up the hierarchy. A made man is traditionally seen as "untouchable" by the law and fellow criminals, a man to be respected and feared. To attack, let alone kill, a made man for any reason without the permission of mafiosi higher up in the organization is a cardinal sin normally be met with severe retaliation, often regardless of whether the perpetrator had a legitimate grievance. A made man, however, can be killed if a good enough reason is provided and the mafia bosses give permission.
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
or American Mafia
American Mafia
The American Mafia , is an Italian-American criminal society. Much like the Sicilian Mafia, the American Mafia has no formal name and is a secret criminal society. Its members usually refer to it as Cosa Nostra or by its English translation "our thing"...
(Cosa Nostra). They may also be referred to by some as a goodfella or wiseguy. However, these terms are also used in reference to closely connected "non-made" associates of the Mafia.
Overview
Traditionally, in order to become a made member of the Mafia, the inductee had to be a male of full Southern ItalianItalian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
(preferably Sicilian
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
) descent. Today, it is believed that this requirement has been loosened so that males of half Italian descent through their father's line can also be inducted. Other sources say that a half-Italian through his mother's line can also be acceptable if he has an Italian surname. Because many third and fourth generation Italian Americans have non-Italian ancestry (due to the mixing of ethnic groups commonplace in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
), having an Italian surname seems to have become the prerequisite for Mafia membership.
Some examples of made members who are not of full Italian descent include John A. Gotti, whose mother was of Russian descent, and "Cadillac" Frank Salemme
Frank Salemme
Francis P. Salemme [Salemone], also known as "Cadillac Frank" and "Julian Daniel Selig" , is a Boston, Massachusetts mobster who became a hitman and eventually the boss of the Patriarca crime family of New England before turning government witness.-Early years:In 1957, while in prison, Salemme...
, former boss of the Patriarca
Patriarca crime family
The Patriarca crime family, also known as the New England crime family and the Providence crime family, is an Italian-American organized crime syndicate based in New England, specifically Providence, Rhode Island and Boston, Massachusetts, and is part of the Italian-American Mafia or "La Cosa Nostra"...
family in Providence, Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
, who was half Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
. Another example was Johnny Rocco who was made under the Gambino crime family
Gambino crime family
The Gambino crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The group is named after Carlo Gambino, boss of the family at the time of the McClellan hearings in 1963...
in 1952. Johnny adopted the name 'Rocco' in 1943 out of homage to his Italian employers, prior to that Johnny was known under the name of Hing and had part German and Mongolian descent.
An associate of a crime family who was in the police force or attended a police academy cannot become a made member of the mafia. For example, DeMeo crew member Henry Borelli could never become a made man in the Gambino family, since he had taken the New York City Police Department
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
entrance exam in the early 1970s
1970s
File:1970s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: US President Richard Nixon doing the V for Victory sign after his resignation from office after the Watergate scandal in 1974; Refugees aboard a US naval boat after the Fall of Saigon, leading to the end of the Vietnam War in 1975; The 1973 oil...
. However, an exception to this rule includes Scarfo crime family
Philadelphia crime family
The Philadelphia crime family, also known as the Scarfo crime family, Bruno crime family, Philadelphia Mafia, or Philly Mob, is an Italian American criminal organization based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is one of the most active American Mafia families outside of the Five Families of New York...
capo
Caporegime
A caporegime or capodecina, usually shortened to just a capo, is a term used in the Mafia for a high ranking made member of a crime family who heads a "crew" of soldiers and has major social status and influence in the organization...
Ron Previte, who was a former member of the Philadelphia police force.
Before being inducted, a potential made man is required to carry out a contract killing
Contract killing
Contract killing is a form of murder, in which one party hires another party to kill a target individual or group of people. It involves an illegal agreement between two parties in which one party agrees to kill the target in exchange for consideration, monetary, or otherwise. The hiring party may...
; any murders committed for personal reasons "do not count" in this respect. Committing one's first contracted killing is referred to as "making your bones." Until the 1980s, one only had to be involved in a murder (such as driving the getaway car) in order to fulfill the requirements. It was not until the Donnie Brasco trials, which revealed that the Mafia was about to make undercover FBI agent Joe Pistone, that a rule was made that potential inductees must actually perform a killing.
When introducing one made man to another, the phrase "a friend of ours" is used, indicating that he is a member and business can be discussed openly with him. If the person being introduced is an associate or civilian to whom business should not be mentioned, the phrase "a friend of mine" is used instead. Made men are the only ones who can rise through the ranks of Cosa Nostra, from soldier
Soldato
A Soldato is the lowest level of the formal Mafia hierarchy, both in America and in Sicily. However, a soldier is much greater in rank and prestige than any ordinary associate of the crime family. In order to become a soldier, the primary requisite for an associate is to become a made man...
to caporegime
Caporegime
A caporegime or capodecina, usually shortened to just a capo, is a term used in the Mafia for a high ranking made member of a crime family who heads a "crew" of soldiers and has major social status and influence in the organization...
("capo" for short), "consigliere
Consigliere
Consigliere is a position within the leadership structure of Sicilian and American Mafia crime families. The word was popularized by Mario Puzo's novel The Godfather , and its film adaptation...
," "underboss
Underboss
Underboss is a position within the leadership structure of Sicilian and American Mafia crime families. The underboss is second in command to the boss...
" and "boss
Crime boss
A crime boss or boss is a person in charge of a criminal organization. A boss typically has absolute or near-absolute control over his subordinates, is greatly feared by his subordinates for his ruthlessness and willingness to take lives in order to exert his influence, and profits come from the...
".
Induction ceremony
To become made, an associate would first have to be sponsored by a made man. According to Pistone's accounts in his book The Way of the WiseguyThe Way of the Wiseguy
The Way of the Wiseguy, by Joseph D. Pistone , is a non-fiction description of Mafia personalities and culture, published in 2004. The author, Joseph D...
, a potential made man must now have at least two sponsors, rather than only one as in the time before the Brasco operation. The sponsor knows the associate and vouches for his good character and abilities. Although a capo or other senior member(s) will determine the prospective member's credibility, ultimately the decision lies with the boss of the family into which he will be inducted.
When the crime family "opens the books" (accepts new members), an associate will get a call telling him to get ready and dressed. He will then be picked up and taken to the room where the ceremony will take place, alone or with other accepted candidates. An inductee will be required to take the oath of Omertà
Omertà
Omertà is a popular attitude and code of honour and a common definition is the "code of silence". It is common in areas of southern Italy, such as Sicily, Apulia, Calabria, and Campania, where criminal organizations defined as Mafia such as the Cosa Nostra, 'Ndrangheta, Sacra Corona Unita, and...
, the mafia code of silence. Though the ceremony varies from family to family, it usually involves the pricking of the trigger finger of the inductee, then dripping blood onto a picture of a Saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
, typically St. Francis of Assisi or the Virgin Mary, which is then set alight in his hand and kept burning until the inductee has sworn the oath of loyalty to his new "family," e.g., "As this card burns, may my soul burn in Hell if I betray the oath of Omertà," or "As burns this saint, so will burn my soul. I enter alive and I will have to get out dead."
Privileges
After the ceremony the inductee is a made man and a full member of the mafia hierarchy. Inducted as a soldierSoldato
A Soldato is the lowest level of the formal Mafia hierarchy, both in America and in Sicily. However, a soldier is much greater in rank and prestige than any ordinary associate of the crime family. In order to become a soldier, the primary requisite for an associate is to become a made man...
(Italian: soldato), he is given certain responsibilities and privileges. The made man now enjoys the full protection and backing of the mafia establishment as long as he remains in favor and earns enough money, of which a percentage is passed up the hierarchy. A made man is traditionally seen as "untouchable" by the law and fellow criminals, a man to be respected and feared. To attack, let alone kill, a made man for any reason without the permission of mafiosi higher up in the organization is a cardinal sin normally be met with severe retaliation, often regardless of whether the perpetrator had a legitimate grievance. A made man, however, can be killed if a good enough reason is provided and the mafia bosses give permission.