Being made trumped everything. Sure you have obligations and rules to follow. But you're one of out of 800 or so people in the city of NY, all 5 boroughs out of 5 or 6 million people. 5 million people in NY, less than 1000 made guys and you are one. They felt special. No one can raise their hands, you're always right vs a civilian, you're given celeb status basically.
What Colonel says is correct.... at one time anyway. Up until the last few decades being "made" trumped everything. You gotta understand that besides the 900+/- made guys, there were at least 20-30 times that amount of mob "associates" of various value and power. Not to mention the larger NYC and general suburban populous of 11,000,000 or so to boot.
It had exalted status and value to have your "button". There were also many downsides that outsiders never realized or saw from the outside. But overall the gloss and sheen of the button loomed large generally speaking.
Nowadays, not so much! ....... it has much, much less value today. Because besides sticking the button up your ass there's not much you get with it. The overall power structure has been vastly reduced, and with it the power of that button.
