I’ve always been interesting in stories about induction ceremonies. Here are a few stories i can think of from various books and internet sites :

- When John Gotti learned that the De Cavalcante family wasn’t inducting members properly, he ordered them to reinduct all the guys that have been made the wrong way. Meanwhile, the Bonanno Family under Joey Massino didn’t even have actual ceremonies. They just had the guys come over and told them they were now members of the Family (i’m not even sure they took an oath).

- In the early eighties, the Genovese wanted to make a few guys and as requested, they gave a list of the proposed members to the other families. The Lucchese family complained about one particular guy (forgot his name). Lucchese Capo Anthony Baratta told the Genovese that this particular guy was a snicth (he testified to the police or something like that when he was younger). So the Genovese killed the guy.

- Ralph Natale claimed he was made in a secret ceremony by none other than Angelo Bruno and Carlo Gambino. However, when he was about to be Boss, Joey Merlino had an induction ceremony for him and appointed him Boss right afterwards.

- Al D’Arco was proposed for Membership in the Lucchese Family but Franck Manzo opposed it saying he was not worth to be made. D’Arco’s cousin, Joe Sciavo, a made guy in the Lucchese, did some lobbying with Christie Furnari (Consigliere) and Joe Palisades (former underboss) to have him made and D’Arco was subsequently inducted.

- As far as I know, 3 ceremonies have been taped by the Fbi : The Patriarca family in 1989, The Philly Family in 1990 and the Bonanno Family in 2015.

- A couple of guys didn’t want to be made and had to be persuaded : Franck Calabrese sr in Chicago and John Praino in Philly.

- Gambino Capo Toddo Aurello asked his soldier John Rizzo to propose a guy to be made. Rizzo replied that none of his associates ware worthy to be made. Sammy Gravano went behind his back and asked Aurello to sponsor Louis Milito, Rizzo’s associate. Milito got made. Interestingly, prior to that, Toddo Aurello had to be persuaded to propose his son Charlie.

- When he was proposed for Membership with the Bonnano, Lefty Ruggiero had a lot of debts on the street which he was order to pay back. He did and he was made into the family.

- In the infamous Duisburg tragedy, they found saints card in the pocket of one of the dead guy. Apparently he has just been made prior to the killing.

- When the Gambino made Joey d’Angelo, they didn’t use a proper saint card. They use a piece of paper on which the name of a saint was written.

- Gambino capo Greg DePalma sponsored Nicky La Sorsa into the family. La Sorsa was made while dePalma was in jail (i think ?) and when DePalma got out, he wanted to kill La Sorsa because he didn’t support him while in jail and screwed him over a strip club racket. The Gambino family refused because La Sorsa was now a made guy.

- When Michael Franzese was proposed for membership in the Colombo family, a capo in the Genovese who Franzese had business with made a complaint. He said that Franzese should be made into the Genovese. The two families had a sit down and it was decided that Franzese would be made into the Colombo.

Please share some stories you know about Mafia initiation.

in the john dickie's book is reported that when bernardino verro (mayor of corleone) was inducted in 1893 in the local mafia family they used a piece of paper with a picture of a skull

the 2015 bonanno ceremony caught on tape during project o tremens was being lead by acting capo damiano zummo.
ceremony was recorded by RCMP and took place in ontario.
wondering who zummo's capo was and any other members in attendance?

A breakdown of Philadelphia making ceremonies in the 1980s

08 June 1980

Location:
South Philadelphia home of capo John Cappello

Members inducted:
Anthony Casella
Salvatore Grande
Philip Leonetti
Robert Lumio
Lawrence Merlino
Salvatore Merlino
Frank Narducci Jr
Anthony Pungitore Sr
Salvatore Testa

Notes:
First and only ceremony presided over by Testa as boss
Peter Casella, Nicodemo Scarfo, John Cappello, Santo Idone, Alfred Iezzi, Frank Monte, Frank Narducci, Nicholas Piccolo, Joseph Ciancaglini, John Grande, Pasquale Martirano, Ralph Napoli, Joseph Piccolo, Michael Piccolo, Frank Sindone and others were present for the ceremony

April 1981

Location:
Basement of LaCucina in South Philadelphia, a restaurant owned by Scarfo associate Salvatore LaRussa

Members inducted:
Raymond Martorano
Salvatore Sparacio

Notes:
Scarfo used this ceremony to announce that Salvatore Merlino was promoted to underboss and Frank Monte consigliere; Joseph Ciancaglini and Ralph Napoli were also upped to capos at this ceremomy

May or June 1981

Location:
Merighi's Savoy Inn, Buena Vista Township, a restaurant owned by Thomas and Ernest Merighi

Members inducted:
Fulvio Capozzi
Peter Caprio

Notes:
Scarfo promoted Philip Leonetti and Lawrence Merlino to capos at this ceremony; he also took down capos John Cappello and Joseph Scafidi, making them soldiers

January 1982

Location:
Vineland home of associate Robert Locicero

Members inducted:
Joseph Bellina
Felix Bocchino
Thomas DelGiorno
Gerardo Fusella
Francis Iannarella
Eugene Milano
Albert Pontani
Joseph Pungitore
Michael Ricciardi
Joseph Sodano
Pasquale Spirito

Notes:
Salvatore Testa promoted to capo at this ceremony

June 1982

Location:
A house in or near Vineland owned by the uncle of Robert Locicero

Members inducted:
Anthony Ferrante
Nicholas Virgilio

Notes:
Scarfo used the ceremony to announce that Nicholas Piccolo was promoted to consigliere
Last ceremony Scarfo held before surrendering to serve the time on his gun charge

November 1984

Location:
Whitemarsh house of Salvatore LaRussa

Members inducted:
Nicholas Caramandi
Joseph Grande
Charles Iannece

Notes:
Scarfo used the ceremony to announce that Pasquale Martirano was to replace Ralph Napoli as capo of the Newark crew; Scarfo also promoted Thomas DelGiorno and Francis Iannarella to acting capos

March 1986

Location:
Second floor of a pizza parlour owned by Scarfo associate Phillip McFillin on South Street near Fourth Street in South Philadelphia

Members inducted:
Nicholas Milano
Phillip Narducci

Notes:
Scarfo used the ceremony to announce that Philip Leonetti was the new underboss and that Salvatore Merlino and Lawrence Merlino had been taken down from underboss and capo, respectively, to soldiers; Thomas DelGiorno and Francis Iannarella were promoted to official capos

June 1986

Location:
Merighi's Savoy Inn

Members inducted:
Anthony Attanasio
Joseph Licata
Joseph Ligambi
Anthony Pungitore Jr
Salvatore Scafidi
Ralph Staino

Notes:
The last ceremony Scarfo presided over as boss (though he later gave permission for Anthony Piccolo to hold a ceremony in 1990 and instructed an 'old timer' to induct some members in the late-2000s)

Scarfo really felt safe in Vineland nj . 4 making ceremonies in that town . The restaurant the Merighi's savoy inn is right on the border of Vineland. If that is the original restaurant on Landis ave.

This thread I posted a few months back has a lot of initiation ceremonies listed



http://www.gangsterbb.net/threads/u...;Main=38519&Number=968879#Post968879

Ralph Natale's claims is about as absurd as me saying I got made by Vito Genovese and Joe Bonanno. Tony Bender and Lilo were my sponsors...... Natale is a screwball

Dont forget the pathetic induction ceremony of baldy mike spinelli

http://gangstersinc.ning.com/profil...mily-soldier-michael-baldy-mike-spinelli

At one point, several months after the hit, in December of 1992, Spinelli found himself locked up in prison, still not made. He complained about his current status as an “unmade” man to Lucchese soldier Frank Gioia Jr. and asked him to talk to Anthony Casso (right) about his situation. Gioia passed on his message to capo George Zappola who passed word to Casso.

As more time went by, Spinelli seemed more worried about his position in the Lucchese family than the time he was and would be spending in a cell. If that was indeed the case then he must’ve been extremely happy when he saw his mob leader walk into the Manhattan Correctional Center.

He and Casso now shared the same prison.

Casso agreed Spinelli should become a made man. Shortly thereafter in January of 1993, the two men met again in a bathroom on the eleventh floor of the Manhattan Correctional Center. They were joined by Lucchese capo Anthony “Bowat” Baratta.


Surrounded by the smell of urine and shit and accompanied by mob underboss “Gaspipe” Casso and captain “Bowat” Baratta (left), Spinelli took the sacred Mafia vows. Of course, this was not the usual induction ceremony. While two high-ranking Lucchese mobsters attended, Spinelli’s official sponsor into the Mafia, capo Richard Pagliarulo, did not as he was housed in a different cellblock.

Aside from the company and surroundings, they also had to improvise when it came to the props used during the mob ceremony. There were no gun and knife symbolizing the tools of the trade and the dangers of the violent life that lay ahead.

Nor did the mobsters have a picture of a saint which would be held by the inductee as it burned, while he recited aloud that if he ever betrayed the Mafia he would burn just like the saint. Instead of the picture, they used toilet paper. Spinelli held burning toilet paper as he swore allegiance to Cosa Nostra, this thing of ours.  

It was the most pathetic ceremony in the entire history of the American mob and befitting of the men present and the man being made. And though Lucchese gangsters accepted Spinelli into their ranks as a fellow made man, many jailed mobsters from other families refused to respect him as such for a very long time.

Luckily for Spinelli he has plenty of time as he will remain locked up until 2027. A very long time still to show what a standup guy he is. And if he doesn’t, may he burn like a piece of toilet paper.

Of course, whether he does his time or not, being part of the mob hit team that shot an innocent woman is not the behavior usually attributed to a standup guy, a man’s man. The mob usually steered clear of guys like that. Until they ordered guys to do exactly those things. And then proceeded to make guys like that a part of their brotherhood.

There was greg depalma who was recorded talking to a business associate who wasn't even a made guy about his induction night and this phone call was recorded and used against him for shaking down that theater The Westchester or whatever. The one with his Paul castellano and Gambino ect. This all came out when he was arrested in the late 70tys and they let him pass. He was talking about being with 10 other guys and they all got made 1 by 1 and the burning saint. Think he said in was on new years eve. Forgot what book it was in maybe rabbs book. Would like to see some old articles on that trial probably on the ny times archives

Natale also forgets he testified before Joe merlino made him once he got home from jail in a hotel room. How he spins that tale in his head about bruno and gambino makes him look like a nutjob

I've also been of the Phil Leotardo thought process " they make any and everybody over their, and the way they do it is all fucked up. There's no knife or gun on the table..... EITHER IT HAS MEANING OR IT MEANS NOTHING AT ALL".
To me a button should be reserved for the most deserving guys (E.I. a proven Standup guy with some jail time under his belt, A heavy hitter who does it right and keeps his mouth shut, a earner that can produce for himself and others, and guys who have the a historical lineage)
You should have 2 out of the 4 prerequisites and at least 2 sponsors. You should be given a ceremony worthy of a made guy. So there should never be a dispute of legitimacy. Just an opinion.

why members could be killed for stocks and bonds? http://mafiahistory.us/nw-dileop02.html

https://lcnbios.blogspot.com/2019/08/bonanno-family-ceremonies-1990s.html
Seems like they still had a ceremony, but it was pretty simple e.g. didn’t involve a knife and gun etc.

IIRC, Jimmy Fratianno and Frank Bomp made Mike Rizzi in the back of a car and had to cut it short because the car filled up with cigar smoke. Fratianno also stumbled upon a ceremony going on in the back of a Cleveland restaurant and had to help them do it because it had been so long the Cleveland members had forgotten how to conduct the ceremony.