I can imagine back in the day when the mafia had power it was beneficial to be on record as an associate, even if you couldn't get made.

But is it worth being an associate today?

You can just do your own this and keep under the radar these days, I bet most would not have to kick anything up to a made guy.

Anyone who is an associate gets made a target immediately and will get prison time for things others wouldn't even get arrested for. I think it has always been that way, but has gotten worse. From things that are not even criminal (A restaurant owner being a partner with a made member in the restaurant) to the big crimes like drugs. Look at Mark Rieiter, they do everything they can to keep him locked up for a 30 year old drug conviction. Then you have the non-associates dealing drugs, running illegal cubs, taking numbers, and anything else. They are hardly bothered, if arrested and sentenced they get 5-6 years for things like guns and drugs. They get life for a murder, then get pardons after 20 years or so. An associate has trouble operating, and gets tougher time.

There's more to being an associate than killing and taking numbers for example. In Chicago for instance, associates were always guaranteed city jobs that would require them to spend little time at their job and collect a paycheck that paid a very good wage with great benefits. That was what really put food on the table, since quite a few were making tons of money having those jobs given to them. Every guy connected that lived in the city had a city job and that is a fact! Which still stands true today. A good example of what I am talking about is explained in this video...........

For non italian associates this is the case but for an italian associate even if doesnt want to be made (or like Frank Guerra and other refuse the offer to be made) there are more benefict like jobs in the unions or in the waterfront or no show jobs in companies controlled by the family.

So here is the thing with associates and NYC, LCN

While there should be more than one classification to accurately describe someone’s affiliation to a LCN, family there is not.

So that paints an inaccurate picture of what an associate is the term
Is way too broad.

I.E. You can have an associate to a family that is hardcore LCN, basically lives it, could have bodies, given as much respect as some made members of a family.

At the same time an associate is also a made guys neighbor that he knows for years as a good neighbor, the neighbor is friendly with the made member and needs a favor or something, he is now an associate.

A made guy has a son, the son has a friend that got into a fight, the sons
friend needs some back up, the made guy steps in and goes and tells the guys the sons friend got into a fight with, “Leave the Kid, alone he is with me” the kid is now an associate.

In between the above you have the fringe players that have been around it a long time, have lived a life of crime decided they wanted to go legit for the most part however, they take some action on the side, maybe they sell some drugs on the side.

They dabble.

The term is BROAD as I said.

I agree there are several types of associates.

In Italian organizations below made men there are the "Picciotti" , it usually indicates a younger, inexperienced up-and-coming associate who is not necessarily a made man yet. They usually perform simple tasks such as beatings, money collection, and robbery.