Glossary entry
Made man
MAYD man
Definition
MAYD man
A formally initiated member of an American Cosa Nostra family, sworn in through a ceremony and thereafter protected by the rule that no member may harm another without approval.
“He worked with the crew for nine years, but his mother was Irish, so he was never going to be a made man.”
Membership was closed to anyone without full Italian ancestry, which is why some of the most capable figures in the business — Meyer Lansky among them — remained associates for their entire careers.
Joseph Valachi described the ceremony under oath in 1963: a burning paper held in the hands, a drop of blood, an oath sworn on the understanding that leaving is not among the available options. Being made conferred real protection and a share of real money. It also meant that the only sanctioned way out was death.