Ndrangheta question

[ThutmosisChen]

Minor society

1. Giovane d’onore - It's not a real rank but it is assigned to babies born in 'Ndrangheta families,one day they can become full members.

2.Contrasto - trusted associate

3.Contrasto Onorato - literally means honored associate

4.Picciotto d'Onore - Lowest rank , just someone who is running around executing orders.

5.Camorrista - same like number 4,but with more trust and experience, and they are given orders/tasks that 4. cannot perform.

6.Sgarrista or Camorrista of Sgarro - Camorrista with important position,last rank in Minor society.

Major society

1.Santista - first and lowest rank of Major society

2.Vangelo - Also called "Evangelist",these are members that complete initiation, they swore allegiance to 'Ndrnagheta by putting his hand on a photo of the gospel.

3.Quartino

4.Trequartino

5.Padrino o Quintino - highest rank of 'Ndrangheta meaning "The Godfather".

There are some more ranks discovered in 2010,regarding highest members of 'La Santa'. Politicians , freemasonry members,secret service members can become part of 'La Santa'.

Crociata

Stella

Bartolo

Mammasantissima

Infinito

Conte Ugolino

So are all Minor society members just associates? And only from the Vangelo rank of the major society onwards they are made members?

[ThutmosisChen]

To complete Strax's post here are two flowcharts that present the structures of Cosa Nostra & 'ndrangheta. It comes from John Dicie's book, Mafia Brotherhood

Good charts, I wonder what real power the commission has, how much authority do they have in determining the affair within each family. I read somewhere that the commission is more like a dispute resolving mechanism than a body of governance.

[furiofromnaples]

So are all Minor society members just associates? And only from the Vangelo rank of the major society onwards they are made members?

Nope. They are like a low level soldiers that if prove to be moneymakers or trusted killers can be baptized as santisti; the ndrangheta is more like the masonry where you more power you gain than can climb the ranks that are never the same with the last ranks was created few years ago.

[ThutmosisChen]

So are all Minor society members just associates? And only from the Vangelo rank of the major society onwards they are made members?

Nope. They are like a low level soldiers that if prove to be moneymakers or trusted killers can be baptized as santisti; the ndrangheta is more like the masonry where you more power you gain than can climb the ranks that are never the same with the last ranks was created few years ago.

So from which rank onwards would you call them made members?

[furiofromnaples]

So are all Minor society members just associates? And only from the Vangelo rank of the major society onwards they are made members?

Nope. They are like a low level soldiers that if prove to be moneymakers or trusted killers can be baptized as santisti; the ndrangheta is more like the masonry where you more power you gain than can climb the ranks that are never the same with the last ranks was created few years ago.

So from which rank onwards would you call them made members?

The Ndrangheta dont have the "made men",if you're baptized you're a part of the ndrina and gain more power climbing the ranks.
We can say that there are members with more power than the others but are all inducted men.

[ThutmosisChen]

So are all Minor society members just associates? And only from the Vangelo rank of the major society onwards they are made members?

Nope. They are like a low level soldiers that if prove to be moneymakers or trusted killers can be baptized as santisti; the ndrangheta is more like the masonry where you more power you gain than can climb the ranks that are never the same with the last ranks was created few years ago.

So from which rank onwards would you call them made members?

The Ndrangheta dont have the "made men",if you're baptized you're a part of the ndrina and gain more power climbing the ranks.
We can say that there are members with more power than the others but are all inducted men.

I`m a little confused. You said "if you are baptized then you`re a part of ndrina", also " if proven to be moneymakers or trusted killers can be baptized as santisti", so basically the minor society is not regarded as a part of the ndrina because they are not "baptized"?
Sounds like the "baptism" you refer to is an initiation ceremony that is similar to people being made as men of honor in Cosa Nostra, or did I understand you wrongly?
If so, the Minor Society which as I understood is comprised of people who were not initiated into the ndrinas is similar to the associates(connected guys?) in Cosa Nostra and LCN.

[PolackTony]

From my understanding, one is essentially born into it, which is I think what Furio is referring to when he says “baptized” — the male children of ‘Ndranghetisti are already considered “members” of the ‘Ndrina. There are multiple ranks that one ascends as a member, clearly derived from Freemasonry, where one is “made” a Freemason (and interestingly, I have seen masons refer to their initiation as “making” a mason, possibly where that term entered the US LCN lexicon) when initiated (1st degree), but then has to pass to the 3rd degree before attaining the status of “master mason”. From what I gather, the Santa and the higher ranks that were invented more recently and mentioned above function something like the appendant bodies in Masonry that are distinct from the craft lodges but require one to be a master mason before being eligible to be initiated into those higher degrees (e.g., Scottish Rite, York Rite, Knights Templar, Order of the Rosy Cross, etc). So there are multiple hierarchically ordered ranks or degrees of “membership” and multiple tiered bodies within the organization. It is all very clearly heavily influenced by masonry (apart from the being born into it/blood family thing, of course).

[furiofromnaples]

So are all Minor society members just associates? And only from the Vangelo rank of the major society onwards they are made members?

Nope. They are like a low level soldiers that if prove to be moneymakers or trusted killers can be baptized as santisti; the ndrangheta is more like the masonry where you more power you gain than can climb the ranks that are never the same with the last ranks was created few years ago.

So from which rank onwards would you call them made members?

The Ndrangheta dont have the "made men",if you're baptized you're a part of the ndrina and gain more power climbing the ranks.
We can say that there are members with more power than the others but are all inducted men.

I`m a little confused. You said "if you are baptized then you`re a part of ndrina", also " if proven to be moneymakers or trusted killers can be baptized as santisti", so basically the minor society is not regarded as a part of the ndrina because they are not "baptized"?
Sounds like the "baptism" you refer to is an initiation ceremony that is similar to people being made as men of honor in Cosa Nostra, or did I understand you wrongly?
If so, the Minor Society which as I understood is comprised of people who were not initiated into the ndrinas is similar to the associates(connected guys?) in Cosa Nostra and LCN.

You can compare ndrangheta with Cosa Nostra. In the ndragheta at every rank there a baptism with an oath. The santisti swore on Mazzini,Garibaldi e La Marmora,there are 2 society because la Santa was invented in the 1970s so the young and ambitious boys can made bussinesses with masonry,politicans and even the cops.
As soon as I have time, I'll translate all the rites and baptisms of the ndrangheta

[CabriniGreen]

From my understanding, one is essentially born into it, which is I think what Furio is referring to when he says “baptized” — the male children of ‘Ndranghetisti are already considered “members” of the ‘Ndrina. There are multiple ranks that one ascends as a member, clearly derived from Freemasonry, where one is “made” a Freemason (and interestingly, I have seen masons refer to their initiation as “making” a mason, possibly where that term entered the US LCN lexicon) when initiated (1st degree), but then has to pass to the 3rd degree before attaining the status of “master mason”. From what I gather, the Santa and the higher ranks that were invented more recently and mentioned above function something like the appendant bodies in Masonry that are distinct from the craft lodges but require one to be a master mason before being eligible to be initiated into those higher degrees (e.g., Scottish Rite, York Rite, Knights Templar, Order of the Rosy Cross, etc). So there are multiple hierarchically ordered ranks or degrees of “membership” and multiple tiered bodies within the organization. It is all very clearly heavily influenced by masonry (apart from the being born into it/blood family thing, of course).

I'll add, I forget whose book it was, but it was described as the Cosa Nostra evaluating recruits from the outside, to see if they are worthy of being let in. Ndrangheta monitors recruits from the INSIDE, and evaluate you to see if you are worthy of initiation into the Santa, or the Major Society.


I would imagine first, its blood relatives. Then its, are you from the neighborhood, and do they know your family and its history.

I posted that thing on Verduccis crew. He had Non Italians in it. 100 bucks, NONE of the Non Italians have a chance at making the Santa, but they might be Saggarristi.... is that the correct term Furio?

[CabriniGreen]

Saggarrista is the highest level of the Minor Society. It's like a street boss, a guy who directly oversees operations and underlings.

[ThutmosisChen]

So are all Minor society members just associates? And only from the Vangelo rank of the major society onwards they are made members?

Nope. They are like a low level soldiers that if prove to be moneymakers or trusted killers can be baptized as santisti; the ndrangheta is more like the masonry where you more power you gain than can climb the ranks that are never the same with the last ranks was created few years ago.

So from which rank onwards would you call them made members?

The Ndrangheta dont have the "made men",if you're baptized you're a part of the ndrina and gain more power climbing the ranks.
We can say that there are members with more power than the others but are all inducted men.

I`m a little confused. You said "if you are baptized then you`re a part of ndrina", also " if proven to be moneymakers or trusted killers can be baptized as santisti", so basically the minor society is not regarded as a part of the ndrina because they are not "baptized"?
Sounds like the "baptism" you refer to is an initiation ceremony that is similar to people being made as men of honor in Cosa Nostra, or did I understand you wrongly?
If so, the Minor Society which as I understood is comprised of people who were not initiated into the ndrinas is similar to the associates(connected guys?) in Cosa Nostra and LCN.

You can compare ndrangheta with Cosa Nostra. In the ndragheta at every rank there a baptism with an oath. The santisti swore on Mazzini,Garibaldi e La Marmora,there are 2 society because la Santa was invented in the 1970s so the young and ambitious boys can made bussinesses with masonry,politicans and even the cops.
As soon as I have time, I'll translate all the rites and baptisms of the ndrangheta

Okay so from Picciotto onwards in the minor society and the entire major society are "baptized" in different rituals but the Contrasto and Contrasto Onorato are still only associates without being "baptized" in any manner am I correct? I read on the Wikipedia that Italian authority estimates there are 6,000-10,000 members in the entire Ndrangheta, this number refers to the "baptized" ranks or no?

[ThutmosisChen]

Saggarrista is the highest level of the Minor Society. It's like a street boss, a guy who directly oversees operations and underlings.

But he would still be a rank lower than Santista or no? like officially people in the major societies are considered to be more superior?

[furiofromnaples]

Saggarrista is the highest level of the Minor Society. It's like a street boss, a guy who directly oversees operations and underlings.

But he would still be a rank lower than Santista or no? like officially people in the major societies are considered to be more superior?

Yes the Santisti and the members of Major Society are more powerful then the Minor Society but the most part of ndrangheta men are part of Minor Society and the numbers you seen on wiki are referred to members not the contrasti onorati that are sinply associates.

[ThutmosisChen]

Saggarrista is the highest level of the Minor Society. It's like a street boss, a guy who directly oversees operations and underlings.

But he would still be a rank lower than Santista or no? like officially people in the major societies are considered to be more superior?

Yes the Santisti and the members of Major Society are more powerful then the Minor Society but the most part of ndrangheta men are part of Minor Society and the numbers you seen on wiki are referred to members not the contrasti onorati that are sinply associates.

Thank you Furio, another question of mine is, does the member of the minor societies have to be blood relatives of the families as well or are they also allowing outsiders to be baptized in these ranks?

[calabrianwatch]

Hello everyone - very interesting thread so far but I am reading some things that might need clarification .

Indeed the ndrangheta is best referred not as a collective name but as many - each clan can have slightly different rules. For example in the de Stefano clan there is no baptism and neither there is one in the Mancusos (various branches) while in the clans from plati they still do it. Most clans obey the family rules and might not include anyone else but others take on promising young people. There are no made members, just people who are baptised or admitted in the minors society. Technically the ndrangheta today is only in the minor society because the moment you enter the Santa you abandon the ndrangheta as you swear against it a to protect the society of the Santa. The Santa has been created in the 1980s/1990s to protect the financial interests of some richer families in Reggio Calabria. Initially only 33 members now many more. In the Santa there were people with double affiliations in cosa nostra in Sicily. There is no commission in the ndrangheta, the crimine as a body (not as a ranking - same word) is activated only when needed - most ndrangheta stuff is done at the clan level or at the society level. There is no top down approach. Abroad there are no ndrangheta members who are non Calabrian - they are associates only for criminal activities who can be non Calabrian but in order to really be in a ndrangheta clan you have to marry someone if you are not Calabrian.