by Cody Ryder

Created on: February 21, 2009

In the Italian Mafia, a made man is someone who has been officially inducted into a family in the Mafia. A made man, also known as a wiseguy or a man of honor, has met certain requirements set by the Mafia and has proven themselves loyal to a family. They then go through a special ceremony where they are officially "made." Being made gives a man certain rights and responsibilities among his family members.

As opposed to popular belief, not everyone involved with the Italian Mafia is a made man. A person who works with the Mafia but isn't made is known as an associate. By tradition, a person was only allowed to become a made member of the Mafia if he was 100% Sicilian. But, as the bloodlines have become diluted by non-Sicilians, this has changed. Today, a man can be made if he has Sicilian blood on his father's side. Even that is changing, however, and it is almost enough just to have an Italian surname.

Associates often work with a family for years before being made. At one time, being a good earner for the Mafia was enough to get a person made. However that all changed in the 80s when an FBI informant nearly became made in a crime family. It was revealed at a trial that the one thing an informant cannot do is kill a person. Now, because of this, all associates who want to become a made man must first carry out a contract killing.

The induction ceremony for a man varies within the families. Generally, the higher-ranking members of a family (the boss, underboss, and several capos) accompany prospective members to a secluded location. Here the associate is given a gun and a knife. They must swear to protect their new family through the use of these weapons. Then, their finger is pricked with the knife. Blood from the finger is dripped onto a card with a picture of a saint on it. As the card is lit on fire in his hands, the man repeats an oath of omerta (meaning "silence" in Italian). After this, the man is considered made. Mafia members on the West Coast generally forego this extensive ceremony because they have to be more wary of the police discovering them.

Once a man is made, he becomes part of a family. His actual family (parents, wife, kids) comes second to his new Mafia family. He must always be ready to help a fellow family member. He must also bring in a certain amount of money for his capo or he will have to pay it out of his own pocket. But being made has its perks too. For one, he is entitled to a certain amount of money every month (as long as his capo gets his share). He is also protected from other people in the family. No one can touch a made man without facing the consequences.

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