When were bosses present at ceremonies?

[axx]

Doing a "quickie" kinda destroys the whole purpose of the ceremony, that is to create a loyalty for a family making a soldier less likely to flip. Also I always imagined early bosses more involved in politics and steering the ship in the right direction while letting the underboss take care of day to day operations within the family including making new members. Especially with the large influx of new members.

[JeremyTheJew]

In the last known Bonanno ceremony, where the guy was a CW he was made by his CAPO only.

And the capo just layed out like the basics. I think he said who admin was. And it was like nothing. Which would suck i would think.

Asaro was made in a fuckin masoleum....

Massino made that guy while happy fuckin b day was playing....

Casso made a guy in prison (is that offical??)

[Jimmy Napoli]

Pretty sure it was in reference to the DeCavalcantes not doing the traditional ceremony and Gotti making them redo when he found out. That information came out only a few years before that episode.


Pogo

Mr.Pogo,maybe you and everybody else should made a list of most interesting cases of ceremonies,with names of guys who was made and members who held ceremonies?

[Pmac2]

Springfield ma guy trangese said he was inducted in a house in Springfield with that whole crew there. Maybe bobby manna drove up there it was in 82. Also the guy Emilio fusco said the same thing just the whole crew

[bluehouse]

Doing a "quickie" kinda destroys the whole purpose of the ceremony, that is to create a loyalty for a family making a soldier less likely to flip.

i really dont think a guy whos facing 50 years and is thinking of flipping is going to be loyal and take those 50 years because during his making ceremony they used props

[axx]

Guy facing 50 no, but guy facing 5 maybe. Some take the sacred thing seriously.

[thekiduknow]

I got ya...so the ceremony without the props

Basically yes, it's also worth mentioning that the Bonanno's would sometimes mention to the inductees that there was supposed to be a gun and knife present at the ceremony but 'because of the way things are now' we don't have them. 'The way things are' meaning law enforcement pressure.

True. I think they were doing that all the way back in 77. I know Frank Lino said that they said “Pretend there is a gun and knife on the table because we can’t take a chance the cops might bust us on a weapons charge”

Some people might use Joe Bonanno's description of his initiation as evidence they used short ceremonies all the way back in the 1920's but I am of the opinion he purposefully left that info out for whatever reason. There is absolutely no reason I can think of that would make them want or need to do a quick ceremony in those days.

I agree, especially since Valachi went through a traditional ceremony which Bonanno attended.

[Pogo The Clown]

Doing a "quickie" kinda destroys the whole purpose of the ceremony, that is to create a loyalty for a family making a soldier less likely to flip.

i really dont think a guy whos facing 50 years and is thinking of flipping is going to be loyal and take those 50 years because during his making ceremony they used props

Pretty much. If a guy is loyal than a ceremony is not necessary. If he is not loyal than no amount of ceremonies will make him so.


Pogo

[furiofromnaples]

In the last known Bonanno ceremony, where the guy was a CW he was made by his CAPO only.

And the capo just layed out like the basics. I think he said who admin was. And it was like nothing. Which would suck i would think.

Asaro was made in a fuckin masoleum....

Massino made that guy while happy fuckin b day was playing....

Casso made a guy in prison (is that offical??)

Yes. Casso inducted bald mike spinelli in prison in 1992 with a toilet paper to burn and the smell of shit. But bald mike doesnt flip and is still in prison.

[Chopper]

I think the ceremonies and rituals are the one thing that sets them apart and has kept LCN together for the last 120+ years.

Sure there's been lots of rats, but there's a durability to it that can't be denied.

[Wiseguy]

I think the ceremonies and rituals are the one thing that sets them apart and has kept LCN together for the last 120+ years.

Sure there's been lots of rats, but there's a durability to it that can't be denied.

The criminal tradition (of which the ceremony is a part) supported by a self-perpetuating organizational structure.

[Pogo The Clown]

From the show Wiseguy. Speaking about Vinny Terranova.


Don Joey Baglia: He should be brought into La Familia.

Sonny Steelgrave: Ah, he already made his bones, Joey.

Don Joey Baglia: He should be brought in by the Council. The ceremony should be performed.

Sonny Steelgrave: On, no you mean that bit with the guns and the knives? Joey, this is the 20th century.

Don Joey Baglia: And you know what's wrong with America in the 20th century? No sense of tradition. Don't you want to keep your roots alive?

Sonny Steelgrave: My gardener keeps my roots alive.


Then when they did the ceremony with the Commission present 2 bosses argue over whether they should just do the finger pricking or just the Saint burning. Philly Boss No Money Mahoney talks about how he "bleeds his guys".


Pogo

[Chopper]

I recently read a book that describes Brusca's making ceremony.

He was made by Toto Riina himself, featuring the gun, the knive, the saint, the blood pricking and all the same questions that are used in the USA by the local families.

The same ceremony that was used in the 1890's and is still going on today. It's part of their criminal tradition like Wiseguy said and its definitly a big part of why they are still around.

[furiofromnaples]

I think that is the fact of be a part of a secret society,an élite that was the force of Cosa Nostra respect the other oc groups in America.
Ant the fact that they believed in Cosa Nostra that give the courage to the oldest mobsters to face long sentences,now is different, the wiseguys are criminals like the others and put the money behind all. There are no "Cosa Nostra till I die" mentality and in this situation a formal ceremony with knife,gun and burning saint is useless.

[JeremyTheJew]

Both Frattiano and Gravano opened there books w them being made.