Oldest person to be made ?

[johnny_scootch]

Arthur 'Bam' Palumbo was 70 y old when was made in 1976 in the Genoveses.

There had to be quite a few older guys getting made when the books opened up in the late 70’s

[PolackTony]

No record breaker, but Rocky Infelise was 61 when he was made in 1983.

If Marco D’Amico was ever actually made, presumably it would’ve happened some time after 2000 and he would’ve been in his mid-60s at the youngest.

[B.]

Age of inductees to me is one of the biggest signs of "Americanization". I'd be curious who the oldest members made into the Sicilian mafia are, especially historically. They still tend to induct guys on the young end compared to the US.

Harry Riccobene came from a Sicilian mafia lineage and said guys were made in Sicily as young as 13 which has never been supported by names but before the teenage revolution kids were expected to become men very quickly. He was made just before his 17th birthday and said there was a rule guys had to be 17 in the US.

A huge number of eventual members came to the US at age 17. Very common age for mafia immigrants in my experience which could be for any number of reasons given this is when they became men but it does match up with them being eligible for membership based on Riccobene's rule. I've wondered if some of them were made immediately before or after coming here so that they'd have stature.

[BeatiPaoli]

To Everyone: Who was the guy on his deathbed, made into the Gambinos, by (IIRC) Gotti, or with his permission?

Regards,
BeatiPaoli

[johnny_scootch]

To Everyone: Who was the guy on his deathbed, made into the Gambinos, by (IIRC) Gotti, or with his permission?

Regards,
BeatiPaoli

I wouldn't doubt if there were deathbed ceremonies, just so a respected associated can die as a made man.

Joe Paruta of the Gambino’s

[BeatiPaoli]

To Johnny_Scootch: Thank you for the reply! How old was Paruta when he was made?

Regards,
BeatiPaoli

[B.]

Am I remembering it right that Paruta also requested that Gravano kill him but Gotti wouldn't allow it? Beyond not wanting to authorize a pointless murder it makes sene as then they wouldn't be able to replace his slot.

[Browniety86]

To Johnny_Scootch: Thank you for the reply! How old was Paruta when he was made?

Regards,
BeatiPaoli

Not sure exactly of his age but in his Our Thing podcast, Sammy said about Paruta something like "we called him Old Man but he wasn't even 60..."

[furiofromnaples]

Am I remembering it right that Paruta also requested that Gravano kill him but Gotti wouldn't allow it? Beyond not wanting to authorize a pointless murder it makes sene as then they wouldn't be able to replace his slot.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Paruta

John Paruta was 57 y old when was made. He had a deasease that made him look more old that are,maybe the werner syndrome plus he had lung cancer and when was made,Gravano hardly find a drop of blood for the holy saint card. Was Paruta to ask to be killed because doesnt want to live as a skeleton but Paruta died before Gotti can give the OK.

[CornerBoy]

ive read a bit about marco damico and it seemed to me that he was a top guy for years. like meeting with that DiFronzo guy who i think was boss?

If he's italian and a big earner, hanging with Administration, why would he not be made?

[johnny_scootch]

To Johnny_Scootch: Thank you for the reply! How old was Paruta when he was made?

Regards,
BeatiPaoli

Anytime. I got nothing for you on that Luciano ceremony or I would have offered it up!

If he's italian and a big earner, hanging with Administration, why would he not be made?

Not everyone wants that for themselves. The smartest guys are content to earn and stay out of the mix.

[rayray]

there seems to be quite a few being made while on the older side

wonder how many successful associates refused/did not want to be made??

[CornerBoy]

Not everyone wants that for themselves. The smartest guys are content to earn and stay out of the mix.
[/quote]

I here you, man. But once you get to a certain level it seems like you kinda have to be. This isnt a joe watts type situation, this marco is italian.

Cant' think of anyone in new york or jersey where an italian was so high up and made big money that wasn't made.......maybe angelo ponte but thats b/c he was in carting- a business always under intense scrutiny. but angelo was no gangster or bookie.......

[PolackTony]

ive read a bit about marco damico and it seemed to me that he was a top guy for years. like meeting with that DiFronzo guy who i think was boss?

If he's italian and a big earner, hanging with Administration, why would he not be made?

One of the stories that I’ve heard was that Aiuppa didn’t care for Marco as he was known as a drunk, despite being a major earner. Marco was not named by Nick Calabrese as one of the guys made in the 80s ceremonies, and then was hit with serious charges in the early 90s and locked up from 1995 until 2005. If he was made, he most likely would’ve been made after that. Joe Fosco, who was an associate of the Elmwood Park crew whose dad was a made guy (Mondo Fosco) has maintained that Marco was never made. Fosco may be incorrect or dishonest for personal reasons (I have no idea), but so far as I’m aware, no firm evidence has yet surfaced that would contradict him and prove that Marco was made. Fosco had Mike Magnafichi, who was a made guy in the Elmwood Park crew and the son of capo Eligio Magnafichi, on his show — Magnafichi would be in the position to confirm or deny Fosco’s claim, but Marco was one of the guys that Magnafichi refused to discuss publicly. A CI in the 90s claimed that Marco and Bobby Abbinanti were angered that Pudgy Matassa was proposed for membership while they hadn’t been, as they felt that he didn’t deserve the honor (they were almost certainly much rougher guys who put in more work than Matassa, IMO).

Chicago has never made as many guys as the NYC Families and there have been a number of guys over the years that would almost certainly have been made in NYC but don’t seem to have been made in Chicago. They have their reasons for why some guys are proposed and others aren’t, to be sure, and we’ve only had one member — who was a soldier with little insight into the leadership stratum — testify, so there’s a lot we just don’t know. As Johnny said also, some guys are proposed but don’t want it for personal reasons (although Nick Calabrese’s account strongly insinuated that he believed that he would have been killed if he turned down his offer of membership).

As some brief background info, Marco D’Amico was originally a Taylor St guy who used to run the infamous Survivor’s Club on Taylor St (social club frequented by the “Wild Bunch”, the hitters from Joe Ferriola’s crew). In the 80s, Marco was a big guy in the outfit-controlled Rush St nightlife district (though he doesn’t seem to have ever been affiliated with the Solano/Northside crew that formally controlled that territory). Marco developed a personal friendship with Johnny DiFronzo, who was capo of Elmwood Park, then underboss and boss of the Family. DiFronzo thus brought Marco into the Elmwood Park crew. While looking at him from the outside one would really assume he was made, it’s also possible that he formally remained an associate direct with DiFronzo. Hopefully some documents will eventually be released that can clarify this (or another Chicago member in a position to clarify flips, though I wouldn’t hold my breath on that one).

[Nurzhamba]

Vincent Manzo, Colombo