I've always thought about this, was Al Neri a made man? He seems to be one of the higher ups in Michael's regime, but his title is "Head of Security" I would think {just by watching} that his role would be Underboss since Rocco Lampone is Caporegime and Tom being a Consigliere type figure. Does it state in the novel{s} how powerful a figure he is in the family or even made?

Welcome, BDuff! Hope to see many more thoughtful posts from you!
We never saw a formal "making" ceremony for anyone in either the novel or the films. In the classical, popular impression of the Mafia, someone is formally "made" in a ceremony that has the Don blessing the new inductee, with a burning saint's card, pricking of the finger with a knife, swearing an oath, etc. And, prior to the "making" ceremony, the new "made man" presumably had to kill someone on orders of the Don or another higher-up.

None of that applied in the novel or the films, except one aspect: Rocco killed Paulie early on, and (in the novel and in a deleted scene from GF), Clemenza flat-out told him, "You make your bones on Paulie today." I put the emphasis on "make your bones" because that's the only indication that Rocco was thereafter a truly "made man."

The first time we see Neri in the film, he's donning (no pun intended ) a police uniform to assassinate Barzini and his hangers-on. Presumably that's his rite of passage as a made man. In the novel, Neri is carefully recruited and brought along by Clemenza.
SPOILER:
When he's been tested, he's dispatched to California to assassinate Moe Green. After that, Michael greets him warmly, and gives him a "living" off of a particularly rich "book" on the east side of Manhattan--as sure an indication that he's "made" as anything else. The novel also says that he took command of the Barzini family after he killed Barzini, though (as you point out) he was later made head of security for the family hotels in Nevada. That seems like a let-down, but, he stayed with Michael, whereas (in the novel) Rocco stayed in New York with Clemenza. So, I'd say that, from the novel's perspective, Neri came out ahead by being close to Michael, whereas Rocco was out of the running.

Thanks for welcoming me in. I always liked Neri's character for whatever reason, he is a very low key guy in the series, but a very trustworthy assassin. I read the novel about...10-15 years ago when I got into the mafia, I don't remember Neri's story to well so I'll take your word. By the way, I like your GFII theory on Rocco, Hagan and Neri it is very interesting.

It's always been a bone of contention among Mafia officianados about the use of ritual inductions into the Mafia. Supposedly some families have and still use them; others such as Chicago's eschew them. Being made is probably more a function of acknowlegement by those already in the Mafia than of a ritual. Killing someone on orders of the family, though, seems to be a requirement regardless.

To tell you the truth, one might ask "Was Vito ever made?" Per the novel, he kind of evolved into the role of a Don. One might also ask the same about Sonny, Fredo, and Michael.

Well in "The Godfather Returns" it states that Sonny and Fredo were made despite doing virtually nothing to get made. Though If Sonny was Underboss, I would suspect him to be a made guy.

I think Olivant summarized the issue of "making"--formal vs. not--very well.

BDuff, you won't find too many people here who have a lot of confidence in "The Godfather Returns" or anything in it.

Quote

Originally posted by Turnbull:
The novel also says that he (Neri) took command of the Barzini family after he killed Barzini. [/QB]

TB
I never understood what Puzo meant by that. In what way would Neri take over the Barzini family?

Neri was sent to takeover Tessio's regime.

I have to check the novel now. I seem to remember Neri taking over for Barzini too, but perhaps TB commited a typo in his older age.

"BDuff, you won't find too many people here who have a lot of confidence in "The Godfather Returns" or anything in it."

I didn't like the book too much, of all authirs in the world they chose Winegardner. I just went by a line I remember Nick Geraci saying at one point. I tried not to read it for a year, but I caved in, I wish I didn't read it. Though, I bet in mid February I will have just caved in and started reading "The Godfather's Revenge"

Me, too. Never has the phrase, "Lead us not unto temptation" been more relevant--or true.

indeed!!

I was reading in the original novel that "in less than a year Neri was a made man".

Though the novel never describes a formal "making" ceremony for anyone, nor does it use the world, "made," it was clear that...

SPOILER
...Neri became the Corleone equivalent of "made" after he whacked Moe Green in Hollywood.

Neri was placed in Clemenza's regime and made his bones wihtin a year.