ABSTRACT
Entry into a criminal organization, such as the Sicilian Mafia, is seen as a rebirth for the recruit, whereby he is compelled to abandon his previous life, along with its values and worldview, and to adopt the values and lifestyles of the criminal brotherhood. First, he must pledge allegiance to the gang via some initiation rite or oath-taking ritual, asserting that he will become a made man, a term that surfaced within American Cosa Nostra initiation ceremonies. This chapter looks at the players in criminal groups; the principles of membership that they live by; and the names they assign to themselves, both as a collectivity and as individuals (including the nicknames they are given), which assign great resonance and meaning to the gangsters. In effect, these play key roles in the process of remaking oneself as a real gangster. The nickname, for example, is much more than a substitute for the birth name. It is packed with connotations that relate to the made man’s identity, achievements, or appearance.
