Originally posted by olivant:
Let's be clear. Because the Mafia originated in Sicily, yes, at one time one had to be all Sicilian to be a "made" member. Of course, Cosa Nostra in America has had to adapt to the times because over the years it has proven difficult to find a sufficiant number of Sicilians to constitute Cosa Nostra's made membership. Also, Cosa Nostra has not wanted to pass up a good thing when it discovers an Italian who would benefit it who is not Sicilian. Frank Castello, for example, was Calabrese.
You may be "associated" with Cosa Nostra, but you are not a member. Hyman Roth, for example or Tom Hagen for that matter.
Yes Olivant, thanks for elaborating in regards to the time that you had to be 100% Sicilian up until the adjustments made in becoming a made member in America as time went on.
And as you said, you can be an Associate of Organized Crime just as Lansky and Siegal were. But I do believe that had Lansky and Siegal been Italians, ESPECIALLY Siegal, there would have been NO QUESTION that they would have been made men. TO further elaborate on becoming a made man in the mob, lets say for instance that I am a made man. You are not. You accompany me to a restaurant and we run into another made man. When I introduce you to the other made member, I must say " This is Olivant, a friend of
MINE."
This way he knows that you are NOT a made man. If you were a made man, and I was introducing you to another made member, then I would say " This is Olivant, a friend of
OURS " Then he would know that you are a made man just like him and I.
Don Cardi
