what it takes to become a member
Prerequests
To become a member of the Italian-American Mafia a person had to have Italian heritage, usually on their fathers side and have committed a murder before their initiation ceremony could take place. Although most families had these pre-requests not all families had them.
INITIATION ceremony
After a person wanting to become a member have fulfilled the pre-requests for their family then they may complete the initiation ceremony. There were different rituals that each family had soon to be members complete such as:
- pricking their finger to draw blood
- holding a picture of a burning patron saint
- recite an oath of loyalty
to be a member
to be a member of the Mafia was a lifelong commitment, and after completing the initiation ceremony every new member had to abide by the Omerta, as well as following the rest of the rule created. The Omerta was a code of conduct and secrecy that forbid cooperation with the government. The rest of the rules were:
- obeying the Omerta
- never assaulting another member
- never cheat with another member's wife or girlfriend