Interesting article in today's Post. It speaks of one of the many changes to the mob life that we've discussed here over the years. To me the irony is that, years ago, turning down your button could get you killed. It was also unheard of. Today it could save you a lot of aggravation.

La cosa ‘no’stra
Wary mob goons turning down promotions

By MITCHEL MADDUX, NY Post
October 31, 2011

It’s an honor they can live without.

Becoming a “made” member of one of the city’s five crime families was once the goal of every ambitious mobster -- and an offer definitely not to be refused -- but those days are gone, authorities told The Post.

With rats lurking around every corner and aggressive feds breathing down wiseguys’ necks, many lower-ranking Mafiosi have been doing what was once unthinkable -- saying “no thanks’’ to the title.

Low-level associates may earn less, but there’s also a better chance they’ll stay out of prison.

They believe that becoming a made man or soldier makes them a bigger target for the FBI, experts say.


“Getting your ‘button’ is like putting an ‘X’ on your back. You’re basically on the radar,” a law-enforcement source said.

A Brooklyn federal prosecutor just last week detailed how Joseph Petillo -- “a longtime and very well-respected associate” of the Colombo crime family -- recently decided to pass on an offer to be made.

“The Colombo family believed, based on Mr. Petillo’s prior history, that he would be a valuable member of the Colombo family. The Colombo family sought his membership,” Assistant US Attorney Liz Geddes told a federal judge.

But in the end, Petillo “turned down an offer of membership,” Geddes said.

Other criminals have made similar decisions -- among them Gambino, Bonanno and other Colombo crime-family associates, sources say.

Some modern mobsters have other reasons.

One Gambino associate declined an offer because “he didn’t want to put the crime family before his own family,” a source said, referring to the mob’s oath of allegiance, which calls for members to do just that.

Some mob associates who run lucrative illicit businesses also believe they can make more money if they aren’t made, because members have to “kick up” a larger percentage of their earnings to the family’s leadership, experts said.

By remaining an associate, “you’re more independent, you’re more on your own,” a defense lawyer explained.

Such decisions are a far cry from the heyday of the New York mob in the 1970s, when turning down an offer to become a made man was tantamount to signing your own death warrant.

“Years ago, it would be like disobeying orders -- literally from the boss,” an attorney said.

Today, in certain circumstances, the mob leadership appears to understand and accept the reasoning behind turning down promotions.

When Colombo associate Francis “B.F.” Guerra declined an offer from the Colombos, he had the heft and standing within the mob community to make such a decision without repercussions, FBI Agent Scott Curtis testified recently.

“Everybody knows his reputation and all the criminal activities he’s done in the past. He doesn’t need a title to carry that reputation around,” Curtis said.

“It depends who they were and their reputation.’’

Other experts say the decision to remain an associate is a clever move that might help a mobster sidestep charges under the feds’ powerful racketeering, or RICO, statutes, which require prosecutors to prove membership in a criminal enterprise.

John Meringolo, a New York Law School professor, said that in the eyes of the Justice Department, “a ‘soldier’ is automatically involved in the RICO conspiracy.”

Proving an associate was involved in a RICO conspiracy can be more challenging, he said.

mmaddux@nypost.com

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/la_cosa_no_stra_LH9RdDb0S9tLBirtD19ZDM#ixzz1cN9p2URd

Who wants to be in the Colombo crime family nowadays anyway.

There's always some stupid kid or some moron neighborhood guy that has probably wanted a button more then anything, especially in NY. I bet they can find new recruits, maybe from the bottom of the barrel though.

If i was a criminal, and had Italian heritage. I would have joined the mafia, i would prefer the Genoveses or Bonannos. I would run things low profile, and grab the top spot when the right time comes. So my vote would be, hell yeah

i would prefer the genovese or the lucchese family, the colombos? lol they would have to buy me off to get me to agree to be made into that borgata, and that would require a few million at least

It seems like this mostly counts for the ones associated with the Colombo, Gambino and Bonanno families. It's not suprising to say the least as these families were hit hard by the authorities in the past and are tradtionally the most visible to the public. When they elect a new boss, it would not take long before everyone knows it.

However, the Genoveses are very secretive when it comes to initiation ceremonies, which explains why they aren't mentioned. This probably doesn't count for them.

Exactly, and the mobs leniency towards turning down your button will ultimately lead to more idiots being made, it will definitely thin the ranks of the smarter people.

Even today this is probably the exception to the rule. For every guy that turns it down once in a blue moon, there are a dozen others that want it.

They can keep their Buttons! If your going to be in then you better do it Right with A Zipper ! Aka. zips !

Right.

Its funnier if you think of some guy going "Fuck buttons! Fuckin zippers man, thats where its at!" while repeatedly zipping and unzipping his tracksuit jacket.



True that. Even so, for every ten or so guys that supposedly turned down the offer, or at least claim they did, it seems one or two did for real.

the key word in that sentence is moron which
would what u would have to be to join the colombos.

I think that it might be the other way around.

Funny how the Genovese don't seam to have this issue...

How do you mean?

Many guys over the years have claimed they were offered a button, but that they turned it down. Rats like Ralph Natale, Fat Vinny Teresa, nobodies like Joey O Masella amongst others, guy's who we really shouldn't be inclined to believe. But for every bunch of bums like that, there's a guy like Petillo who it seems really did turn the offer down.

In the modern age what are the real benefits to being made? Seems there are many draw-backs today!

There is benefit, think about it. You become a boss, you will get tribute from hundreds of made guys, this can amount up to millions a year. Sure it is hell, constant threat of being killed or jailed. But when money is in the game, most people will glad to have a button and try to become a boss.

The benefit's of being made;

*you get to kick up half your loot to the boss!
*you get to be called to meetings at any hour of the day, even if "your mother was on her death bed"!
*you cant get whacked! (Well, unless you are. Then you can totally get whacked!)
*you're automatically guilty of a RICO conspiracy by being a member of a criminal organization!

Wait, did I say benefits?

i dont understand this rico how can you be indicted for being made and what if they cant prove you are made?

You can't be indicted directly for being a made member of the LCN. But proof of your membership can be used to form a larger RICO case.

I thought that this was fascinating. I don't know how wide spread this sentiment is, but it certainly raises some eyebrows. Of course for there to be non made members, there must be an organization that has made members so there is that.

According to Bill Bonanno, his grandfather Calogero Labruzzo was supposed to become made and was brought into a room where a induction ceremony was being held.
He noticed a man he gravely disliked and asked if he was a part of this group. They answered him that he was.
"If he´s part of it, then I don´t want any part of this", Labruzzo said and walked out of the room.
The disliked member admitted that he in the past had wronged Labruzzo for some reason untold.
But keep in mind that this was in the late 20s and a display of such disrespect from Labruzzo´s part would normally mean a certain, instant death.
But Labruzzo was known as the nutty guy on the block and him being the future father in law of Joe Bonanno´s, probably saved his life.

so some guys turn down the button but what about those NY guys who went to the decalvalcantes to get made? well atleast if its true i saw it on the documentary the real sopranos or something like that.

In Murder Machine there's this anecdote where Nino Gaggi tries explaining to Roy DeMeo that he wouldn't like being made.

Even tho the real reason was likely cause Castellano was against it, Gaggi said that Roy had more freedom as an associate. He didn't have to adhere strictly to the rules and be held as accountable as a made man does.

So perhaps that's another reason connected guys turn down their button, especially in a day where the other pros of being made can be undesirable

Ya I saw that. the reason they went to get made with the decalvacantes is because they couldn't get made in new york. Even though the sopranos makes it appear that jersey is a srtong mafia family it really isn't in real life

I dont understand how a NY guy can go to jersey and become a made member doesnt he have to know the jersey guys for years and do buisness with them

Those NY guys that ended up with the NJ Family were regarded by the NY Families as pretty much unusable. They didn´t want them. But they still vouched for them.
When "tranfered" to the NJ Family, they were still only "connected guys" and it wasn´t like they were being made overnight. In some cases, it took years before they got made and during that time they were carefully evaluated by the NJ bosses.

One funny thing about it is that the NY Families put an end to NJs recruitment of NY guys and withdraw their consent of it.
This was in the 80s (I think) when the talent pool (even in NY) was getting slimmer. However, this didn´t stop the NY Families from recruiting guys from New Jersey!

I get how in general NY look down upon the DeCavalcantes, considering two (you can argued three) of the Five Families' Jersey factions alone have more manpower, presence and power over the Dimeo/Soprano (opps...I mean DeCavalcante :p) Family.
Although, it must be said that not all wiseguys from the DeCavalcantes are treated as inferior. In fact, some were feared even by NY wiseguys. I recalled reading an article about Vinny Ocean where he scared Joe Colombo's son (who is a made guy) and made him backed down over a dispute. However, we are talking about Joe Colombo's son here, who made "Godfather III" before Godfather III was out and also the same one got beat up by Sammy Gravano.

it was the mid-1990s

"During the mid 1990s, Amari and Vitabile, now the most powerful members of the family, were present in a sitdown with representatives of the Gambino and Colombo crime families in New York City, as the DeCavalcante crime family had been recruiting reputed Mafia associates Louis "Louie Eggs" Consalvo and Gregory Rago, who together operated a social club on Mott Street and held criminal interests in New York City. The only problem was that, since these two mobsters were based in New York, their profit and activities should have gone to one of the Five Families, in this instance, either the Gambino crime family or the Colombo crime family. Reputed Gambino family captain Nicholas "Little Nick" Corozzo and Colombo family Consigliere Vincenzo "Vinny" Aloi were present during the sitdown. The conflict was eventually resolved peacefully when it was ruled the DeCavalcante crime family could no longer 'make' members outside of New Jersey and South Philadelphia, which was another area that the DeCavalcantes had traditionally recruited from."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giacomo_Amari#Sitdown_with_New_York

where did u see that about gravano and colombo's kid? you have a link?

There you go.