Originally Posted By: pizzaboy
Originally Posted By: dominic_calabrese
Originally Posted By: pizzaboy
Because that's how the Westside operates. Back then, and up until today. If you were a soldier, you knew your skipper. That's it. Simple as that. And that's the way it's SUPPOSED to be.


Certainly this would be a good way to promote secrecy, and to keep the identities of other members and higher-up's secret from low-ranking members.

However, whether from movies or from books, I thought that during initiation ceremonies many (if not all) other members of the family, including the boss, would be in attendance and circle around the new members, who would then swear their loyalty to them

All members of the family? You mean like 350-400 made guys in one place when the mob was in its heyday? That's the movies, and a bad movie at that.

There are cases of guys getting made with only two or three other guys in a room. In certain instances, guys have been made by the Underboss while the Boss was in prison or unavailable. And speaking of prison, a few guys have been made while in jail over the years.

At the MOST, we're talking about the Administration, the Skippers and the Inductees at the ceremony. Inviting more guys than necessary to a making ceremony only makes for more potential witnesses. Simple as that.


Yea I agree pizza that's what made me ask the question. Because not only would it be difficult for Joe Valachi to be able to name all them people in different families but that would be difficult for a boss as well.
Documentaries just make it seem like joe was the man who put all the lists and structures together. (Not saying he couldn't. But difficult for anyone, even with inside knowledge).

I guess all the books I'm reading are making me shine some new light to stuff I previously heard. But heard in different ways.
Just interesting to me.

Thanks again all.

"My uncle(Nicky Scarfo) always told me, you have to use your brains in this thing, and you always have to use the gun." -"crazy" Phil Leonetti-