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.