Never came across anything suggesting that there was a restriction on the number of new guys the Families were allowed to make. Because of their bigger size, the biggest Families also had a greater number of followers (associates, guys "on the record" etc). The Families were allowed to make anyone they wanted, as long as the new recruits were approved by the bosses when the lists were passed around.
But if a family wants to double in size in only a few years time other bosses aren't going to approve. The fact that each of the Five Families never surpassed a certain size does suggest that there was a limit on membership for each family. I don't buy it that the Gambinos went from a small family to the biggest one in only one decade, surpassing the other smaller families. Why didn't the Bonannos, Colombos or Luccheses came up with such a brilliant idea? If Bonanno just made 500 new men he wouldn't have had so much trouble ordering the murder of Gambino and Lucchese..
This is all bullshit
The gambinos were always the largest family, even going back to the 1930s
They always had the larger number of associates
By the gambino became boss, the books were closed
In 1956 guys like frank locascio were the last guys made until the early to mid 1970s
For the most part over the last 40 years the families in NYC make members to replace old ones
Sal vitale said he made up dead people from the phone book ,to be able to make new members
And vinny gorgeous was recorded on tape complaining to massino that JO JO Corozzo was making up the names of dead people an trying to sneak in guys that had been convicted of dealing drugs in the past 5 years, and massino laughed because he said "he always tried the same thing"
