What is a Made Man in the Mafia?
[November 2022]To discover the secrets of the Mafia and make a great Mafia themed game, we need do some digging and really get to the bottom of what IS a Made Man.
Being a Made Man in this game will qualify you for Higher prizes, exclusive medals, and other players will know you as a player to be respected. Here's what it means to be a Made Guy for real Mafiosos.
If you've ever watched Goodfellas, you're probably intrigued by Tommy's dream of Getting Made, which is common slang for becoming a Made Man. Goodfellas was based on a true story of a Mafioso who went public. In a famously brutal underworld where stepping on anybody's toes can get you killed, being a Made Man is the ultimate safety net. Nobody is immune from getting whacked, not even bosses or Capi di Tutti Capi (Boss of bosses). Getting Made is the closest thing to invulnerability in this harsh reality.
Source: (GoodFellas (IMDB))
Made Man's position in Mafia Hierarchy
Not all Mafia families have the typical structure, where do Made Men fit into that? To the left is a graphic showing the traditional tiers in a Mafia Hierarchy. Getting Made would seem like it's the first step towards climbing the Mafia Order, yet in order to get made there are several things a man must do, or be, first.
Requirements to be a Made Man
- Only Men can be part of La Cosa Nostra
- Must be at least half Italian descent (Further info)
- Proven ability to make money
- Have no links to law enforcement
- Must be sponsored by an existing Made Man
- Prove loyalty to the family by carrying out a contract killing
- Agree to abide by the Omerta code
So as you can see, to even be considered to become a Made Man, you have to have all the right credentials. Many aspirant gangsters, including Henry and Jimmy in Goodfellas couldn't quite meet the stringent rules and remained as Associates. The closed shop at the top of the Mafia was designed to protect the bosses, but did it end up creating disgruntled associates who had no way to improve their official standing in the Mafia?
Christopher gets Made
In popular culture, there are a few important depictions of being Made. In The Sopranos, Christopher is shown getting Made in one scene, then shortly after, complains to Paulie about the pressure to earn money. This highlights the pressure that Made Men are under to both organize their associates and pass money up to their superiors. The expectation of earning money doesn't go away once someone becomes a Made Man.
The Unlikely Made Men
There are a few examples of Mafiosos rising high in the Mafia, despite not meeting the traditional requirements. This indicates there is some flexibility when members have proven themselves worthy in other ways.
Domenico Violi was allegedly Underboss of the Buffalo Mafia. He was almost certainly already a Made Man to have been in the position to be promoted to Underboss and his boss allegedly had to seek the approval of The Commission to promote a non-Italian to Underboss (Source).
John A. Gotti became Boss of the Gambino Crime Family in 1991 after his father, John Gotti, was imprisoned despite not being of full italian descent. It's unclear if John A. was initiated as a Made Man, although it's likely considering he became acting Boss.
Could you become a Made Man yourself?
At Made Man Mafia, you can play the game as a Made guy. You don't even have to jump through the hoops or pretend you're Italian. We won't even swear you to silence, in fact you can win extra prizes by referring others to join. The requirements are easy, add enough of your won credits to a round, Use $10 MMM Cash, or hvve an active Membership.
Earn your way to the top of an established Mafia family, or create your own. The underworld is at your fingertips at Made Man Mafia - Where legends are Made.
Get Made Today, and play Made Man Mafia.
