Rory paced up and down the street, impatient and agitated. He’d been thinking for a while now and the more he did so, the angrier he got. Now usually Rory was a calm individual, it was important to maintaining good judgement and remaining respectful, but just lately he’d become fed up. He’d tried to ignore these feelings but it was just making him increasingly annoyed.

You know, I remember a time when the rank of Made man really meant something, when making your bones brought you respect and admiration throughout our world. For many now it just seems to be a cheap, throw away rank. People EXPECT to receive the rank of made man, it is devalued and cheap in many respects. People below the rank of Made man, completely disregard the rank and the status that it brings. Hell, I read in my ancestors journals, of people been shot in the streets for disrespecting made men. A practice I truly miss. Now before I continue I’ll make myself very clear, if you think I’m stupid or flogging a dead horse, you can kiss my ass. If you think that the rank of made man should be achievable to all and it should be a given, you can kiss my ass.  Are we clear? Good.

Now, I’m not saying that associates should not be able to speak on our fair streets, that is absurd. All opinions should be welcomed and discussed as long as they are done so respectfully. All too often do we see Wise Guys and below come out here and call out, disrespect made men and above. Hell even crew leaders get called out here by wise guys and below and get disrespected. Now this has always happened, I’d be foolish to think it hasn’t. It is however the way in which it is now dealt with that dismays me. I’m not pointing the finger at anyone here because I think that as a whole and myself included, we are too forgiving and too weak on this form of disrespect. We ourselves, those in the upper echelons of our society have allowed this rank and those above it to be cheapened, and honestly, I find it infuriating. I personally strive for a time when the rank of made man and above, the ranks of honor, mean something once again.

People say respect is earned, and to a point, that is true. But I have earned the trust of my family, they have opened their books to me, Made me a Soldato, a made guy. Now you might not respect me as a person, you may not even know me on a personal level as many of you don’t, but you sure as hell should respect the rank that has been bestowed upon me. I make it my prerogative, to respect all those of made and above. I have respect for the rank and the responsibilities that come with it.

Another thing that pisses me off, is the constant hand holding. Every mobster needs the occasional guidance and support that’s what families are there for. To support each other, work together and become the best that they possibly can. But it’s gone too far. If the next generation of mobsters are ever going to be successful, they need to be allowed to stand on their own two feet. They need to be able to make their own mistakes and learn from them. If that means they get shot in the goddamn face and their sons/daughters have to venture here to our shores, making sure they learnt from their parents mistakes then so be it.

When I talk about people getting shot in the face, I’m not talking about them getting shot in the face for mugging thieves, maybe not even for clipping somebody’s Bodyguard as a one off. This can be repaired with cold hard cash. Obviously if someone is a relentless body guard shooter they’re going to get shot in the face, I understand that. But I’d like to see people take more responsibility for their actions. Instead of going crying to your leader when you fuck up, stand tall and meet it head on. If that means duelling to the death, then so be it. Death should not be a punishment for all indiscrepancies and I would highly advise you try using words first, a simple apology and a show of respect, goes a long way. But far too often are people molly coddled and bottle fed when they need to man up and face their own shit.

I welcome you all to come and share your opinions with the masses, I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on the matter, it is one that is having a hugely negative impact on our society.

I will however reiterate one of my first points, and forewarn you. If you intend to come here and tell us that the rank of made man shouldn’t mean shit and every man and his dog should have it. You can kiss my ass.

Rory steps back, allowing himself to finally draw breath. Lighting up a cigar and straightening out his jacket. He takes a seat on a nearby bench. Hoping the passing people may be inspired to reply.

Rory, did you really expect there were people who'd come out here and say Made Man is a rank that means nothing and it should be handed out like the morning gazette is on every street corner? The thing were it goes wrong is that everyone with a bit of understanding of this world agrees in public what the obvious opinion should be, the rank of Made Man does hold value, but the acts to back our words up are not there.

We'd like our Mades to be top-notch mobsters who've earned their button through hard work, shown loyalty to the family and who display a thorough understanding of this world. But that would mean that associates have to be brought to that level. They need teachers who show them how business is done. They need leaders who inspire loyalty and not just assume it. Associates need people who crush their often misplaced self-esteem that they know how it works and then show them how it really works and motivate them to become a part of it.

It works both ways I guess, if an associate doesn't proactively seek greatness, he shouldn't expect it. The same goes for leaders, if you don't show the path to becoming great, they shouldn't expect their members to reach it. When both pro-active attitudes meet, you'll be able to create the finest assets to your family, people worthy of the title Made Men.

And when you're talking about lack of respect for Made Men and others placed high within crime families, I wouldn't mind having more tougher repercussions in place. I assume many families still have the more standard set of family rules written on the walls of their headquarters. Omerta, Honour, Loyalty, Respect are the words that usually go at the start of said rules, as they are generally expected to be at the foundation of every choice we make in this life, so we should be able to punish easily in obvious cases of violation. Therefor it's ofcourse needed that leaders and other people who already made their button, lead by example. 

Anyway, that's my opinion on the subject you brought up, but I'm curious to learn what others are thinking on the matter. I'm only an associate, so I expect there's yet much to learn for me in this world!

I believe there are two factors in this problem that makes it so obvious yet renders so many oblivious to it. The first is something I've condemned from my outset in Our Thing: ancestral connections. Oh, you worked for my grandfather? Oh, I worked for your uncle? Well then we don't need to go through the pomp and circumstance of the rank, we can just focus on recruiting, making money, and training our guns. I truly refuse to believe this doesn't happen (though not necessarily in all crews). Plus, the way we carry ourselves has rendered Made Men rogues rather impotent, reducing any legitimate concern that they'd hazard a shot at someone they shouldn't.

The second is something I'm coming to realize only recently: we collectively fear judgment. We're afraid to tell people what they're doing is wrong, bad, or inadequate, whether out of a fear of being criticized ourselves or because we'd fear the retribution that comes with telling a grown (wo)man that (s)he isn't measuring up. When people come to the streets decrying the falling standards of our world, they're never armed with names, facts, or any form of accusation. And that's why nothing changes. When you come to the Streets saying "we've lost our nerve when it comes to Made Man promotions," you're not really doing anything.

Sure, it happens. There's people who don't deserve their rank. But are you going to cast judgment on the CL who gave it to them? No. There's no names in your speech. There's no judgement. No indictment of failed duties as a leader. Not to say, RoryRourke, that your concerns are illegitimate or unfounded because of this, but simply to say that no one will at any time listen to you and conclude that they're the problem. And if they possess the self-awareness to know they're the problem, I'd say they knew it before the speech and are deliberately behaving the way they think is best, despite your concerns.

I don't mean to shit on your parade, Rory, as you know I have the utmost respect for you and what you have to say. But as long as we're prioritizing those "you knew my grandpa!" connections and revere the collective agreement of every CL to not give a fuck what the others are doing (until it threatens them, obviously), you'll see decline. I mean, we had a Chicago CL and his RHM rogue (killing a very good friend of mine) without so much as a peep from the other cities. No judgment. No one did anything wrong. No one "failed in their duties." Mibbit just auths another CL in his place, and the show goes on.

So, unless we're going to start coming to the Streets ready to not only solve problems but hold people accountable for their role in those problems, we're not really going to solve anything. We're just background noise stuck on repeat for each new round of leadership. So to me, that's where we went wrong.

As I walk down the sidewalk I hear a man ranting to bystanders about Made Men. I walk over to see that it's RoryRourke. I take a seat in a table outside a restaurant nearby and listen in for a few minutes. I listen to not only Rory, but also Tycho and Cato. I listened intently and tried to gather as many points as I could. I walked over to the growing congregation and tipped my hat.

"Hello everybody, some of you know me, some of you don't, but nevertheless we are all the same. We are mafioso and we are all part of a family, at least the ones of us who are Made. I've seen some wonderful arguments made today, and while I don't agree with all of them I respect you for coming out here and speaking your mind, whether you are Made or not."

I pause for a moment seeing if they understood the underlying idea of my opening statement. I looked over to Cato and nodded to him.

"First of all, I would like to respond to my friend Cato's ideas. You speak of not only respect, but also of responsibility. I agree wholeheartedly with your view on the subject. Responsibility is key; without CLs and other pieces of the upper-structure taking responsibility for tragedies caused by their own mistakes, then we can't have harmony in the streets. Made Man does need to mean more than it does, but without truly calling out the people responsible for it's now almost meaningless stature no real change will have been made.

When the rank of Made Man is handed out and earned properly all parties involved are bettered by the occurrence. This means that the now Made Man has learned something and grew as mafioso, and the Family has grown in size and have upped their earnings by bettering an associate to his or her full potential.

Now my lineage has not been here for all that long compared to others, and maybe I wasn't around for these "Golden Ages" people speak so fondly of, but I have seen some slight changes just in the time since my Grandfather CC and his short-lived Father Clay's days. I've read of crews back then that were really hard to become Made in, and some others that made it easier.

In one journal I read of my Grandfather's he speaks of a mighty CL, who later became a GF, named Batiatus. He wrote that he did a lot of growing in that crew. Not only did he have to work his ass off for his button, but he also was made to account for mistakes he made. One of these mistakes was an accidental shot on another's MIA. My grandfather was made to pay double the price of the man he killed to the rightful owner of the kill. It was a fair punishment, and it helped my Grandfather grow and learn from his mistakes. Not only was my Grandfather made to take responsibility for his actions, but his upper-structure also apologized to the rightful owner, and Batiatus further explained all the rules of hitting that hadn't been previously explained to CC. It was responsible and respectful and actually helped better the situation.

This responsible teaching that was done by Batiatus goes back to not only what Cato was speaking of, but also Tycho. It was his way of helping send my Grandfather on the route to his button. Eventually, after some trials and stipulations, CC reached his potential and became a respected man in the community.

Too many leaders and people of the upper structure infer that people already know what to do, and don;t break things down enough for the new players. This causes for inexperienced players to cause problems, and some to even become Made Man without reaching a deserving level for it. When a problem arises it should not be just swept under the rug, it should be dealt with like responsible adults. With the ideas that we are taught even at the young age of Elementary School, respect and responsibility.

In conclusion everything falls back on those two general ideas. RESPECT and RESPONSIBILITY. With these two ideas in mind we can create a Mafia were you RESPECT people of higher status, but  also don't condescend those of lower. As well as one where everyone takes responsibility for their actions, whether they be on purpose or accidental. There punishment may include anything from a simple apology to some money to demotion, and in extreme cases even death. But without CLs, GFs, and GMs that work towards this goal and come out and take responsibility for being the ones who are deluding the meaning of Made Man and the Mafia, then we will never expand to be any better then were are right now."

I finally took in a well needed breath. I sat back down, and waited to hear some more responses, I felt they would be very interesting.

queenie, impatiently waited for RoryRourke to finish speaking. She knew however, it was important to allow him an uninterrupted expression of his opinions and views and to not simply cut in... No matter how many times he said something he deliberately and knowingly used to irk others. She takes a deep breath, take a transcript from her lawyer, who was always in her entourage keeping notes of her interactions with others for legal purposes and begins to read

"You know, I remember a time when the rank of Made man really meant something, when making your bones brought you respect and admiration throughout our world. " queenie looked to her butler jeeves who scratched her head for her, to express her confused and quizzical mood.

"What events or changes exactly, have you seen occur in the last nineteen days of being in one of our Detroit organisations... that was so significant, so radical, it made you feel like you should... nay, MUST come to the streets to tell us all about how you remember your first days here and the how it was to be a made member then, compared to now?" queenie continued "Also, one is absolutely certain that "making your bones" only brought admiration and respect, to those who considered that promotion AS something to admire and respect. That simply is not the case for everyone and it seems your own perspective is what has changed, not others and their perspective. To take to the streets in order to tell us that we hold less admiration for a made member today, than when we were princesses only dreaming of becoming Queen, is a bizarre thing indeed."

queenie squints through her halfmoon glasses at the transcript, as to not misquote anything she had heard. She begins to read back aloud. "if you think I’m stupid or flogging a dead horse, you can kiss my ass." she continues squinting "All opinions should be welcomed and discussed as long as they are done so respectfully."

"well. I don't think you're stupid. Also I don't think you are flogging a dead horse either, but the only reason why not is because this particular dead horse is so old the carcass has entirely been devoured by microbes and flies and nothing remains but the hollowed, splintered fragments of the skeleton" queenie lifts her glasses onto her head, sitting just before her tiara "You, yourself, have not mentioned this topic before.. however I would not be at all surprised if somewhere along the line one of your ancestors had started a similar discussion, or taken part in a similar discussion, or perhaps read or over heard the discussion between others. To say that I can kiss your ass, for thinking this, is far from an opionion shared "so respectfully" and makes me wonder if whilst you're remembering things that happened in the last three weeks of your arrival to this thing of ours, if you've ever remembered a time when it was not acceptable to take to the streets to tell entire groups of people, regardless of their age, experience, rank, title, dedication, wisdom or worthiness of their position... to kiss your ass for having a perfectly cromulent opinion."

queenie's butler pours her a fresh cup of tea, places it on a saucer and hands it to her. She takes a sip, puts the cup back on the saucer and returns it to her main footman Jeeves to hold until she's ready for more.

"Since the theme you're repetitiously attempting to hammer home here, is that people shouldn't have their hands held and that disrespect of senior members of our organisations should be met with lengthy swimming lessons, it would seem to me that perhaps you're attempting to make this happen, to martyr yourself, to bring it back? If that's the case, no. I wont simply put you 6 feet under to teach you and others a lesson about respect, because why should I? Others who do not know me, should have no obligation to "respect" or "admire" me, any more than anyone else. If they respect their own superiors and family head, they'll show basic respect and refrain from overtly insulting myself and others, but that should be left to each family head to decide for themself, should it not?"

a small, evil grin begins to crawl across queenie's lips. She narrows her eyes, focusing on RoryRourke's. Jeeves gives a quiet chuckle as he's been with queenie long enough to recognise when she's feeling in a rebellious mood.

"In closing, one is amused to add... queenie clears her throat loudly and makes sure to speak up as to not leave any room for claims that she wasn't heard or understood by RoryRourke "the rank of made man shouldn’t mean shit and every man and his dog should have it"

she tilts her head back in a nonchalant manner and cackles maniacally

"If you'd like a more serious discussion about the topics you've raised here today, responses are available via "mob mail" letters or whenever a trip can be arranged to OOC avenue"

Cato, my friend, I think you raise some very valid points. Although I did not bring it up in my original speech, I couldn't agree more with the perceived importance of ancestry on these shores. Of course, some bloodlines will always shine, always be a cut about the rest, but this should not mean they are automatically given their button. Unfortunately however we seem to have fallen into a vicious circle in which this has become the acceptable norm. No matter how much we discuss it, and the consensus of opinion seems to be on our side, people still bitch and whine if they are not awarded their button at the first available opportunity. It seems to me that people are weak and feeble. Quite sad for a society of supposed mobsters. 

Frenchy, you also raise solid points about being taught the right ways in which to behave. How frequently however, do we see people of supposed stature, made and above, who fuck up and impede on other peoples contracts. Now if they were never taught, then a degree of blame cannot be apportioned to them. But it's a very basic and intrinsic rule of our society. How can we allow associates to become made men and beyond when they do not understand even the most basic concepts of our world? This again illustrates that perhaps the rank is just handed out simply because an individual has the connections to complete a certain level of drug deal. That is absolutely outrageous. 

Finally on to you Queenie. It appears you have perhaps, misunderstood my intention. This is not meant to be a slating of leaders, nor the men of honour within this thing of ours. I intended it to be a constructive discussion on how we can better our practices. 

Perhaps you do consider this to be a long dead topic but my question is this.. Every time this discussion is raised, people come to the streets and state that the rank is too easy to achieve and that people hold a general lack of respect for the rank and what it means. So why, after all this time has nothing been done? Why is this discussion still happening and the same answers being given? This has nothing to do with the time I have spent here in Detroit. I feel personally that the procedures within the family I work for, are perfectly adequate. I cannot, and will not be dragged into a debate on your practices, nor any other crewleaders. I do not work for you, It is none of my business and much more importantly, I don't much care. My main issue is the way in which the people who hold the rank behave, and the way in which associates and such treat the rank and expect it to be given. 

I have no intention of being a martyr, I also do not feel that I have done anything to be disrespectful to anyone on a personal level. If my rhetorical device of kissing my ass upsets you, I can only apologise. My intention was however to draw people in, to start a debate and perhaps ruffle a few feathers. 

It would certainly seem I have done just that. I do however find it a shame that their has not been more input on this topic from the made men of our world. 

Guilty conscience perhaps? 

Must you really ask? Are you that stupid?

""You know, I remember a time when the rank of Made man really meant something, when making your bones brought you respect and admiration throughout our world. " 

Dana steps out from amidst her guards, her long black hair blowing in the evening breeze she approaches the assembled and carefully places a large worn leather bound tome on the flat of a mailbox opening it and watching for a moment as dust flies from the long unturned pages. She looks around for a moment and reaches in to her jacket, raising her free hand to still any fears she might be reaching for a weapon. She pulls out a pack of cigarettes, flips the lighter out and then proceeds to light one, looking over the crowd before speaking.

"This journal, is the log of my bloodlines, the chapter I would speak to you today, refers to the reign of Godfather Starscream. It is written, 

that during his time in this thing of ours, he would take those aspiring to become 'made' in to a small side bar he owned, and swear those people loyal to the family. Only by performing this right, in front of his trusted men, by swearing loyalty until death did someone take the proverbial 'button' in his family. There are I'm sure, still those who honor the old ways. There are plenty of good men and women out there who are still loyal, who will still take a bullet for their leader. However, those things aren't really required these days in mass are they? We all are fond of money, it makes this thing of ours what it is. At the end of the day, nothing gets done on these streets without it. 

I could go on, and more or less repeat what has been said just in different words however, it would serve no great purpose. If you wish to see a change in this thing of ours, as it was once said, "Be the change you wish to see in the world". If you stand as head of a family, don't do that next promotion just because its 'expected' put up a new note on the message board, or what ever method you use to disseminate information in your family and state, "This is the way it is going to be." Nothing short of you as a leader enacting the changes you wish to see will bring about those changes. If you wish to lead, if you wish to change things, then stand up and do it others will respect you for it and perhaps even follow suit. Do not wait on the Godfathers to tell you, "This is how it should be." They've already raised their families and moved on to bigger things. If you do this, when your time has come and gone, others may speak well of you, and carry memories like the ones in this tome of your family and the golden age which they found themselves in under your leadership.

Just my two cents..."

With that, Dana adjusted her wide brimmed hat, picked up her families journal, and stepped back in to the crowd.

Captain Darling listens to the conversation taking place and with a nod of the head here and a shake of the head there, decides to join in the discussion.

You really can not compare today's rank of Made Man to the one from days of old. They're different things now. Before, if you were alive long enough to be considered for the rank and you had worked well on perfecting your aim, once promoted, you could easily desert your family, buy yourself a small headquarters to hide in,  take aim at whomever you wanted, and create havoc. You could do serious damage and be a real threat.

Today, we've learned more in the art of blending into a crowd, we can be harder to seek out, shooters find their targets surrounded by many bodyguards, you need to practice your shooting skills for a lot longer. It is not possible for a newly Made mobster to cause the pandemonium that they could have before.

This fact alone reduces the need to be quite so picky about handing out that button.

I do not believe the rank held any extra significance before, other than for the above stated reason. As Cato had commented, there was and still is, plenty of 'our families go way back so you get your button immediately', none of the hoop jumping required that a leader may place on an unknown, to them, family member. Often the hoops are there arbitrarily anyway, to give the illusion that the rank matters.

My family have found themselves with family heads that insist the rank IS important, that you have to prove yourself. Every.single.one. has meant that to only people whose families they don't have a long history with. Several have made a show with the promotion, which is fine, but there is always that double standard with it, that some have to 'earn' it, or even shockingly 'buy' it. Yes, my family has found themselves with leaders who insist on a certain amount of money and... that's pretty much it.

Hilariously, my ancestors' journals tell of an incident where a leader has refused to give that promotion to all but their closest friends and then, during a time of conflict, decided that perhaps ALL the eligible family members are good enough for a button... Because the bonuses that came from the prestigious title of Made Man were needed during a war.

The cheapening of the rank is not a new phenomenon.

The rank and the "respect" that comes with. As far as I am concerned the rank YOUR family gives to you, is of no consequence to me. For all I know you've a long family history with your family head and your rank is a privilege for that history. Your boss could simply have given the rank once you've reached the prerequisite earnings. You may well have had to go above and beyond to earn that button, but, in all honesty, there's as good a chance that you didn't have to. I should point out, I mean no one person in particular, I mean this to apply to EVERY Made and higher mobster.

At the most, I consider the rank to mean that you've applied yourself in some way, at some point. If you find that you're simply not being promoted, or even considered for it, there's a 99.99% chance that it's because you're demonstrably idiotic, or, you have made precisely zero effort to get to know your family and contribute, in any way. It is a rank, like any other, that comes to all but the most half-assed of mafioso.