It’s the big day. You’re about to become an official member of the Mafia - and once you’re in,
you don’t get out. There’s just one thing left to do - go through your initiation rites.
What does it truly take to become a member of the Mafia?
The authorities have been trying to find out for a long time. The Mafia is a notoriously secretive
crime organization, and many people who stumble onto information they shouldn’t have don’t live
to tell anyone. But they’re also a criminal organization with a respect for tradition
and for hierarchy, and they take bringing new people into the organization seriously.
So whether someone is an actual criminal, or an undercover officer hoping to avoid detection,
when it comes time for that initiation rite, you’d better pay attention.
But nothing stays a secret forever.
The rituals date back a long time - all the way back to 1877 Sicily, where it was written about
in a local newspaper. Sixteen years later, things were tense between the local mafia, known as the
Fratellanza and the local left-wing youth group. Bernardino Verro, a young activist, joined the
Mafia’s youth movement to gain their protection. He reported on the ritual he underwent, including
tests of loyalty and cutting himself with a knife - with the blood that was then dripped
onto a drawing of a skull. He soon broke from the Mafia and went on to a successful career as
a local politician - before the Mafia killed him, having not forgotten his past offenses.
Many things have changed since then - but not everything.
As the Mafia made their way across the ocean to America and established themselves as a
criminal powerhouse, they became more tight-lipped than ever. Sharing details
of their ritual with someone outside the mob was considered a grievous offense,
with mob boss Joseph Massino saying “Once a bullet leaves that gun, you never talk about it”.
The irony of that statement? He was saying it from the witness stand after turning on the
Mafia and cutting deals with the government. Today much more is known about the ritual
thanks to the number of made men who have flipped - and it all started with the FBI.
The year was 1989 - and the mystery was about to be blown wide open.
It was suburban Boston, and the Patriarca family was inducting new members. Needless to say,
this was by invitation only, and getting rejected at the door would mean harsher
consequences than getting tossed out by the bouncer. The FBI couldn’t get in - but that
didn’t mean they weren’t prepared. They placed electronic surveillance devices at
the house before the big day, and captured the identities of everyone present - along
with the details of a ritual that few outside of the Mafia had ever glimpsed.
And there was one big advantage to this.
It’s not illegal to be inducted into the Mafia, and no one was busted for this. The FBI kept tabs
on all the new guys, of course, but the biggest reason cracking the initiation rite was a coup
for the feds was when working with undercover agents. If you’re in deep cover with the Mafia
and it’s time for your initiation rite, you’d better get every step of it right - or you might
be headed for a quick retirement with two shots to the back of the head in a swamp.
Knowing and even watching the initiation rite ahead of time could give future undercover
agents the chance to prepare themselves and project the confidence an undercover man needs.
In the United States, a few things have changed - but the core stays the same.
The Mafia knew the heat was on, and for a while, the books to become a made man in
the Mafia were closed - for almost twenty years! While the FBI had information and
eventually a first-hand perspective, the first description came from old-school
Mafia man turned government informant Joe Valachi. Convicted of trafficking and murder,
he turned government witness in the 1960s and provided the FBI with the
most detailed information on the Mafia yet - including the nitty-gritty of the ceremony.
The first step? Getting chosen.
How do you join the Mafia, exactly? There isn’t an application process,
and pushing too hard will probably make the local bosses think you’re suspicious. In other words,
don’t call them - they’ll call you. The best way to get in is to show them you
can be trusted. People who run errands for Mafia members, offer them a legitimate place
to do business, or cover for them with the authorities will be on their radar,
and may eventually go from associate to full-on member. They’ll also bring in solo criminals who
impress them with their ingenuity - although you don’t want to be seen as competition.
And once you get in, it’s serious business.
You’ll meet the bosses, and they’ll have to approve you. Once you get the nod, it’s common
for multiple people to be initiated at one time, in a sort of collective baptism into the world
of crime. This is where you become a wise guy, or in the more famous term - a Made Man. Well,
kind of. Getting initiated isn’t the end of the story, but it is one of the biggest steps
to make the bosses trust you. They want to see loyalty. They want to see confidence. So
they’re going to put you through your paces - and you’d better not flinch.
Even when there’s some pain involved.
Joe Valachi’s description of the ceremony may not be 100% accurate anymore from the 1960s,
but the majority has stayed consistent. He sat down at the table and was presented with some
wine - along with a gun and a knife. The boss said some words in Italian, and then another wise guy
picked up Valachi’s hand and pricked his finger, dripping the blood onto a piece of paper. This
paper usually has an image of a skull or a saint on it. The boss then informed Valachi that he was
now part of the family, and he would now live by the gun and knife - and die by them as well.
But is this truly what it takes to become a Made Man?
The definition differs, but the practice remains - and becoming a full-fledged
member of the Mafia might have a little more to it than just the ritual. For one thing,
there’s one condition that you can’t fake - most Italian Mafia groups require anyone involved to be
Italian or have Italian background and be sponsored by another Made Man. So a Dutch
criminal might be out of luck. They have to take the oath of omerta, a code of silence and
honor that represents the Mafia’s values. They then become an official soldier in the Mafia.
But is there another - deadlier - requirement for joining the Mafia?
It’s been a persistent rumor about the Mafia for decades, and it frequently makes its way
into Hollywood portrayals. Do you truly have to kill someone to fully become a Made Man? It used
to be a requirement to commit a contract killing to become eligible, both to show loyalty and to
weed out any undercover officers who wouldn’t be willing to go that far. No killings for
personal reasons were allowed, so the victim was usually an enemy of the Mafia or a member of the
“Family” who had betrayed them or screwed up badly enough to earn a permanent retirement.
But this bloody tradition may be dying out.
Forcing a new soldier to “earn their bones” with a killing might be a good way to prove loyalty,
but it’s also messy and attracts attention. Back in Sicily and in the old days when the Mafia had
infiltrated law enforcement and government, they could get away with it and cover up the bodies,
so having the tradition was worth it. But now, with the FBI and local government on their trail,
and the Mafia at only a fraction of its old strength? Fuhgeddaboutit! Killing someone
every time a new soldier joins the Mafia would plant a giant target on their back.
And once you’re in, you’d better be ready to abide by the code of conduct.
A Made Man has some simple rules to follow,
starting with the most important - be loyal. The Mafia takes loyalty and secrecy seriously,
and interfering with the syndicate’s interests or informing on them is the quickest way to a fast
and brutal exit. The Mafia also commands its members to be rational and not pick
fights they can’t win, to be a man of honor who respects women and the chain of command,
and to represent the Mafia well. This means showing class, independence,
and courage - well, as much of these traits as any member of a crime syndicate can show.
But the Mafia does have standards many criminals don’t.
For one thing, the Mafia is looking for a specific type of criminal. They don’t want
loose cannons who seem to be in the game only for pleasure and cause more damage than they need to.
That was what disqualified “Mad Sam” DeStefano from joining the Chicago Mob. The brutal loan
shark loved to kidnap, torture, and kill people, and was frequently used by the mob
as a feared enforcer. But his sadistic glee, as well as the rumors that he worshipped the devil,
meant the Mafia was never willing to bring him in as a full member. For one thing,
DeStefano was too unpredictable - and they didn’t trust him to keep their secrets.
And sometimes it’s not who you are - it’s who you know.
Another group of people is never going to get to see that sacred Mafia initiation rite - anyone
who’s too close to a police officer. Police officers are immediately disqualified, of course,
because the temptation to play both sides would be too much. Anyone who has attended
or applied to law enforcement is out, and many times the Mafia will shy away from anyone who
has too many families in the business. Of course, rules are meant to be broken,
and quite a few Mafia bosses have brought in corrupt police or corrections officers
because they have useful connections that can give the Mafia an edge in their district.
And once you do manage to take that initiation rite, you’d better take the blood oath seriously.
It’s one of the most common tropes in Mafia movies. The made man failed his boss,
and he’s taken off to be snuffed out for humiliating the family. Is this actually
true? Well, as usual, Hollywood is taking some liberties. An organization that killed off its
soldiers at the first mistake would likely have a pretty hard time with
recruitment! But there are certain offenses that will get you a 22-caliber exit from the
Mafia. These include killing or making an attempt on the life of a fellow made man,
committing crimes against the code of the Mafia, or stealing from the Mafia.
But what about those most notorious Mafia criminals - the dirty rats?
Does everyone who testifies against the Mafia have a target on their back? It’s certainly a
concern because a good number of people in the witness protection program testified
against organized crime syndicates. But the FBI knows how to cover up people’s identities,
and it’s rare for anyone in the program to actually be discovered and targeted - unless
they let themselves be known. But even some turncoat mafiosos who did go public,
like Sammy “The Bull” Gravano, went on to leave the program and write books about their time
in the Mafia and survived - although they rarely manage to stay out of legal trouble.
And as the secrets were exposed, the organization evolved.
The government knows more about how the Mafia functions than ever before,
and the crime syndicate has had to change its ways. While it used to be
an incredibly insular group, it now works more with other ethnic mobs,
particularly the Russian Mafia, along with some notorious motorcycle gangs. The Mafia
has dialed back serving as the enforcer for its own criminal businesses, often letting
other partners take the heat and dish out the brutality. They have a mix of legal and illegal
businesses that make it easier to confuse the authorities and cover their dealings up.
And in one big way, you can’t put that genie back in the bottle.
Once the first Mafia member testified before Congress, the code of Omerta would never be
the same. While the Mafia still strongly discourages anyone sharing their secrets,
it’s become commonplace to take deals when arrested by the feds. Not only are
the foot soldiers taking deals when they need to, but some of the most prominent
bosses have tried to avoid harsh penalties by spilling everything to the government.
And that’s created quite a few vacancies - that the underbosses are happy to fill.
And yes - they’re still taking new members. But remember, don’t call them, they’ll call you.
And when you get that call, better be ready to shed a little blood for your new family.
For more on how this storied crime syndicate has survived,
watch “What Does the Mafia Even Do Anymore?” or watch this video instead.