Gollum approaches the streets. He has seen blatant disrespect towards others for far too long. He decides to ask two questions about the importance of made individuals.

What does it mean to you to be a made in a family? And what does it mean to you that others are made in other families? 

When your crew leader pushes that little button and finally says you are made, what does it mean to you? Is it achievement for reaching the ability to carry more drug units? Is it a show of progression of how much you invested in the family bar and conversations with family members? Is it a reflection of trust worthiness? Is it worth anything at all to you? 

On the other side of the coin is your opposition. The people who are out in the streets who are out doing crimes as well. These individuals who are not in your family. What is it about another person being made into a family that deserves respect from you? They aren't in your family, they are most likely against you. So why show them respect? 

I just want to be clear why i am bringing this out to the streets. I feel there needs to be a healthier level of respect in our community when people come out to voice their opinions. I think we need to re-understand what it means to be made into a family. My personal opinion. Firstly, everyone deserves respect, not just made's and uppers. I hate when people discount others words because they aren't made members of a family. That is so dumb. They have nothing to offer because they are younger than you? "Rank up and do something!" That being said i think respect is something that should be equally spread. For me though i think a higher level of honor goes out to the people who decided the family they were made into is the family they would give their life for. To me that deserves automatic respect where as a wiseguy/earner still has to earn some kind of credibility. To me, the made members of other families are a reflection of their leaders. To respect a made man is to respect their leader and to disrespect a made is to disrespect that leader. 

Gollum dances around and awaits the onions of others on the importance of made men and women within a family. 

Martiimus walks upon the streets trying to enjoy the weather, when he gazes upon his friend Gollum speaking about a topic that had bothered him a bit in recent weeks. He thus decides to speak his opinion about the matter and thus be off on his way.

In this world of the mafia there is no greater  honor a man can hold than to be bestowed the status of a man Made. This means that you have shown skills, character honor and loyalty to thine boss. Respect is a big key in this land of the mafia, this world thrives off respect and it must be shown in all levels of this world, especially thine streets where the masses watch. Men who have not yet elevated their status in my opinion must speak with the utmost respect when addressing those of higher positions, Family, blood honor and respect they make up this world, if we lose one we slowly begin to lose our world. Let us all respect each other, this is my opinion, every man upon these streets deserves respect just as Gollum has said, EVERYONE. Let us be respectful in the ways we speak in the streets. 

HAIL VONGOLA!

Martiimus proceeds to leave and be on his way after concluding his response.

I've always felt that you can pull some shit as an associate that you can't do as a Made Man, and vice versa. I think that it's good if we all have some level of respect for each other, regardless of rank. Not really respect, but some basic level of civility? Not necessary of course, but I think it helps in keeping the streets alive. Judge someone for his opinion, argument and  such, instead of his rank I say.

Nobody deserves automatic anything. Not trust, not loyalty and certainly not respect.

That being said I am not saying you should come out and bash each other. I agree with Aleksandr that civility should always be there.

Here is why no one should get respect based on rank. Rank is subjective to that crewleader and city. Not every city works the same or values the same type of work ethics. Every leader is not the same. Some value hard work, others value friends. So no, you can't base something like respect off a mere rank. You can base it if you feel they have earned it in your eyes. Respect is a very personal choice and I don't think it is something you can force.

Now back to your main question Gollum.

Made Man means a great deal to me. It means that you have proven that you know what it is you are doing. If you are chosen for sponsorship then your leader thinks you can train new members of our community. Granted you don't need sponsorship to pitch in and help someone to learn the ropes of our community. You can take initiative and just do it.

Made Man to me means that I have proven that I can work hard. That I can be trusted not to randomly haul off and shoot people, or create a scene in the streets. It shows that I know how to speak to people properly, and can engage in a debate without being disrespectful or rude about a difference in opinion.

Made Man to me, means a hell of a lot. It's not just what earnings I have, but how I interact with the community and family as well.

That is all just my opinion on how I feel when I reach that rank.  I do not know what other people have to go through to gain their own ranks or how it makes them feel, or even how much weight they put into it.

As far as other families are concerned, it goes back to the point that all families are not the same. So just because someone got Made doesn't necessarily mean they worked for it.  I wouldn't even know what they have done unless they are doing something in public view where I may question the judgement of such decisions or wonder about them.

I have to say Gollum, most of the stuff you say here, on these streets, are wise words to me.

That being said, for me to be made ment that i got accepted in my city's family. My boss trusted me enough to consider me worthy of representing the family-crew-district-city while doing my business arround the country. If i fuck up , as you said, it will be a reflection to my boss so it's this trust that is reflected in getting made.

In our way of life we have rules. Those rules ensure the smooth working of our organization. Respect is one of the more important rules we have. In my opinion we are not seperate organisms going their seperate ways. We are different cells of the same organism. Sure some times things might become agressive between different families but this is not a daily occurrence. In our daily routine, in order to conduct our business most effectively we all obey the same rules, the same hierarchy. So ,as you said, showing respect to a member of another family is showing respect to their boss and showing respect to a boss is needed to protect our hierarchy and way of life.

Genco approaches the conversation, offering greetings to the various mafioso gathering. 

"It's good to see you, paisanos. I'm glad this topic has come up, it's good to know the rank still demands our attention as to the meaning behind it.

"I've heard of the rank being treated in different ways, one of the most celebrated ways being a ceremony held, personalized to the individual and attended by the other soldatos from la famiglia.

"If it was my famiglia? I would consult with the associates sponsor as to their thoughts on the members abilities before making a decision."

Madara stands back listening to the various people speak and thinks about some of the ideas being conveyed. After a short while of thinking on the ideas he had not considered himself before he decides to come to the front of the gathering crowd to share his own thoughts about the topic of being Made and what it means.

I'd like to start by quoting one of the other speakers in these streets.. "Respect is a very personal choice and I don't think it is something you can force." I believe this is true, at all times. You can never force anyone, regardless of their position, rank, age or experience or even their loyalty to you to have an opinion that isn't theirs. Respect, is an opinion. It's subjective to each individual and can not be cohearsed. I personally feel with regards of attitudes and how we conduct ourselves when communicating it is very simple...

do not offend the Gods. The Gods were clear that there are rules in civilized society that will not be crossed by anyone, regardless of who, without repercussions.

Now on to the meaning of made. For me, being made means two things;

the raising of expectations, particularly to the oath of silence with regards to family business, aswell as the raising of expectations of contributions to the family unit as a whole. Not just financially but also to assist in family affairs. from taking out the trash, so to speak. to reaching out and assisting other members of the family, without need of prompting.

The second thing that being made represents to me, is an inherit confidence in the mafioso. To allow them priviledged access to areas of knowledge and or resources that would otherwise be restricted.

For example loans. If a member of mine is made and requests a loan to be able to grease the palms of the corrections agency, I'd have no problem or worries about that member paying what is owed. Where as to those who aren't made. It may be a different story, with either a reduced loan or even a refusal of a loan until proof of repayment being possible or a guarantor is willing to co-sign the application.

These are just examples. However I feel they summarise the difference in being associated with the family and being a made member of the family. As for how people come across when they talk in the streets. Again, so long as it doesn't offend the Gods. I'm happy for everyone to respect or not respect each other's opinions on any given topic.

Chucky comes across Gollum's speech in the streets and other's opinions and finds himself deep in thought regarding the subject.  He ponders a response for some time and very patiently awaits his turn to speak.  Once there is sufficient pause - he speaks up:

"Thank you for you contributions Gollum and all others.  It certainly gave me reason to pause.  After some thought - I would suggest that being made is something that should be more personally gratifying than universally respected.  It's a symbol of the work that I have put in for my family.  Further, I feel it is the appreciation shown from my Crew Leader for things that I have done for the family."

"On the flip side - I don't feel that it's something that demands an increased respect from any wiseguy or goomba on the street, nor do I expect any further respect from outside members for myself than what was given to me prior to receiving my button.  Simply put - there are too many crew leaders out there in which I have no idea what they value when they select their made members.  It's impossible to know what those people have done (if anything) to deserve those buttons - and whether or not I should even respect it anyway.  It's just not my business.  I judge the man, not the rank."

Chucky takes off his fedora and waves it to the crowd in acknowledgement and waits for further responses.

What it means currently:

In this day and age, it means very little. Made men are often treated just like any other mobster around and many of those receiving the rank don't seem to understand the value of it. Quite often they aren't involved in inner circles and instead are there as a sign of strength rather than being there due to deserving it. They are also open to attacks from muggers, even if the mugger is just a gangster they are still beaten to a bloody pulp and nothing is thought of it, at least not publicly.

What it should mean:

You are untouchable. You will leave this life and your family via death. It should mean you join a very elite set of gangsters and have the trust of your family head and vice versa. You should at this point join the upper echelon of your family and will be savvy to most family matters. You will be respected by all, especially in the streets. Your status in the street should be obvious. Although it's "not nice" to talk down to those of a lesser rank, it is allowed with no repercussions. On the flip side if someone were to talk to a Made Man with disrespect, there would be consequences. Although they haven't earned the respect of individuals within the streets, their rank should reveal extreme hard work and loyalty and that is something to be respected.

Doc, I think the only way we could or should give that meaning to the ran of Made Man if it's incredibly hard to get Made Man and you're really something fucking special if you are one.

Agreed.

Doc I have to disagree on one point. Mugging. Anyone should be able to mug regardless of rank, station etc, because lets face it, in reality you arent going to be pleased to find someone digging in your pockets. If you see them then you may choke the living life out of them. Mugging is a risk that everyone takes when they pickpocket. It is a well known risk, it is not hidden. Therefore just because you are Made Man, A Crew leader or a hand, it should not save you from having your behind beat down if you are seen. If you are seen you were not stealthy and should probably avoid that person in the future.

The only concerns I would have about mugging someone is when they're a Godfather.

And I would tell you the same thing, they knew the risks and they took them.

A gangster beating down a crew leader? Reality check please.

As I hear people talk about Made Men, I can't help but think "Duh?" Most of the things I've heard; "hard worker," "honorable," "loyal," are things I expect from everyone, not just Made Men. So it's no surprise that we see the Made Man promo being dished out with such ease; the things we look for you can find in just about everyone. Anyone can be respectful, honorable, and loyal. Just about everyone who is currently alive stays alive by maintaining that respect, honor, and loyalty.

Respect is widely untested. People either don't speak in the Streets or speak elsewhere (mail, crew chat, IRC, HQ) with such an informal tone that it would be both foolish and unproductive to ask your men to be formally respectful. Honor? Yeah, don't shoot everything you see. There's your honor. Loyalty? Don't leave your crew (which you would die for doing anyways, so it's self-enforcing). There's your loyalty. It is immensely simple to satisfy these principles. Why? Because we don't really trust our members with anything. We've been trying to paint the rank with some high-minded purpose for years, and it has done fuck all because that's all we've done; paint it.

To me, Made Men should be heavy. I don't mean fat, but they should carry weight. Would you consult your Made Men before you act as a leader? No fucking way. They could spill the beans to their friends in other cities; we can't trust Made Men with actual information, objectives, or discussions. And that may be one of the things that most surprised me about this last war; button men demanded so little from their leaders. Men with hundreds of hours invested were dropping like flies, and their progeny just come right back and do the exact same thing with no lesson learned. They work hard and pledge to die for their CL, but get almost nothing in return as far as trust, information, or any kind of weight in the decisions.

The way I see it; Made Men should wield actual power in their crew. If your Made Men want to do something, then you owe it to them to see it through. Otherwise, what's the fucking point? If your own highest-ranked and most-trusted members coming together won't convince you to do something, then why are you taking their money and time as their leader? Step down and put someone else in charge; someone who will act when their members call for it.

All the things we want to see could flow from this change. When Made Men speak in the Streets, they're speaking as people who actually have influence in their crew. If they say "I'm gonna fucking kill you," that should scare you because they have the pull in their crew to make that happen! So respect would have to flow, or you'd see crews going to war over bullshit. Would you trust someone with sensitive information and the weight to direct what the crew does? Then promote them. If not, they stay at Wise Guy. Presently, I don't think Made Men command influence; their leaders do in their stead. And it's no surprise; letting your leader do all the decision-making is really fuckin' easy. All you have to do is tribute, recruit, and (in some cases) train a gun.

You want to see people taking the rank seriously? Give them a reason to. Until then, Made Man means fuck all.

"They are also open to attacks from muggers, even if the mugger is just a gangster they are still beaten to a bloody pulp and nothing is thought of it, at least not publicly."

To be fair, isn't it beneath a Made Man to have his fingers in some lowly gangster's pockets in the first place?

"What does it mean to you to be a made in a family? And what does it mean to you that others are made in other families?"

I'd like to think being Made in The Akatsuki means that you've conducted yourself well, you've contributed to the family, you've earned trust and the rank is to be given to show this.

What it means elsewhere, I can not say, I have no more respect for someone simply because they are of a higher rank and standing within their own family.

Even if it was an extremely difficult thing to be Made within a family, it wouldn't hold any more weight. There have been great leaders, who've fought their way to the top, there have been great leaders who were given a chance to shine when they were authed by higher ups... BUT... On the flip side there have been leaders that have had bold suits simply because their friends hold power, and they've whined enough, there have been absolutely retarded leaders, like legitimately special individuals. All of these have been in charge of deciding who in their family got to be Made. You can't possibly agree that all of those individuals should be afforded more respect because of the rank their leader gave them.

I think the problem is that a fair amount of people, including Made Men, actually do share sensitive information with their friends. I think that's because they believe that their relation with their friends is the same as the relationship with their family, while there should be some sort of distinction, obviously. 

I think that if we were to really give some sort of real meaning to Made Man it should be given way less and quick. This would also leave some people disgruntled though, and it wouldn't help the rebuilding process a lot (if we're talking about the pace of rebuilding at least).

 I agree that Made Men need some level of trust invested in them; but only if you can trust the Made Men! 

Furthermore I'd argue that Made Man isn't very special in the cursus honorum of the Mafia; due to the way the Gods shaped our world, the drug capacity requirements for the rank itself aren't very hard to get (one or two days work for capable mobsters).

I agree with the majority of your points, Orsik. It should take true respect and loyalty to be considered for Made Man. There should be a fuss, pomp and ceremony, leaders should be consulted and discussions had before giving someone the honor of becoming a soldato. These are the men and women who may one day become the boss of a family, if you're making them, you should be confident in their leadership abilities, too. 

To me, being made is everything that I have worked hard towards. It is not something I expect to be given if I have not impressed through sheer hard work and effort, through donating to the family cause and through trying to communicate with family members to earn respect while building respect within the wider community that we find ourselves in. 

I also see it that I have been trusted by the head of the family to lead those below in the chain of command, pass on advice, guidance and get them to understand the meaning of family loyalty. 

I think it should be THE event in our life as a mobster as it is the moment you are truly trusted.