You're right, Carmela. But in all fairness to Luan, I think he was just speaking in general terms. But there have been MANY notable exceptions.

The best example I can think of, in terms of a guy getting made young and living up to high expectations, is Barney. The guy got his button at 20 years old; he was a skipper before he turned 30; and was acting as a street boss by his very early 30's. It doesn't hurt when your father's a made guy (like Barney's was). They can usually get their sons made early if they have enough juice. Someone mentioned Junior Gotti. He was, what, 25 when he got made?

Nepotism is a factor, just like any other job. This was very prevalent in the Gambino family during the Gotti era. Craig DePalma (Greg's son) got made at around 25, and he wasn't an earner or a tough guy. The kid eventually tried to hang himself (after giving testimony to a Grand Jury, then refusing to cooperate any further). He was in a coma for seven years before he finally died. Tore Locasio (Frank's son) was also in his 20's when he got his button. Although Tore went on to make a fortune.

So there are plenty of exceptions, but I'd say that the norm is to wait a little longer (especially in the Genovese family, where the average made guy is like 60).