To become a made man, a mobster had to make his bones. Sealed with a dramatic blood-oath ceremony following a contract killing that only an Italian could pull off, the wiseguy earned untouchable status.

Wiseguys did what they wanted. The couldn’t be touched. If a common street thug or even a respected guy were to harm a made man, the punishment was death.  No matter the circumstances, the perpetrator's justification or associations, it was one of the few rules observed by the mafia families. The protected status was so liberating, it fostered unparalleled bravado. Wiseguys had big personalities, and even bigger egos. Even the very word, mafioso, translates roughly to swagger.

If Dave Gettleman was describing these attitudes when talking about the Kosher Nostra, he'd call this "chutzpah." It's that braggadocios swagger that Cam's got,  and although he's got all the accolades of a wiseguy in the making, he hasn't made his bones just yet. 

There still looms a suspicion among the media and fans from other football families, however, that Cam’s  fugazi.  Yea, he’s pulled of some big jobs, the NCAA Championship, Heisman Trophy winner, a historic NFL rookie year, and now he's even looking to boost the MVP trophy.  They worry about his stats, that they aren't bloated traditional bloated stats of past wiseguys. More than anything, his unique style, his charisma, and his abundant self-confidence, have rubbed these critics the wrong way. 

This year Cam Newton is making his bones. Sure, he's a "known" guy, but he has yet to fulfill that lethal contract that makes a made man. The call's been made to Newton, however. His opportunity to become a "man of honor" is here. He has to take down some respected guys to become mafioso.

His first mark comes Sunday. Newton has to take down Russell "The Cleric" Wilson and Kam "No Second Chances" Chancellor of the rival Seahawk family. If Cam makes it out alive, he still has to complete two more contracts. One will like be a job against a family out of Arizona, who will be traveling east to the Carolina’s, and final job will be in Arizona. The rat hasn’t been named yet, but whispers say he’s with a family out of Pittsburg, New England, Denver, or Kansas City. 

If Cam can make it through this induction, he'll have made his bones.  He'll be untouchable. And for all those who have been giving Cam a hard time, remember you never bust a wiseguy's balls.  It can get ugly. 

By the Professor, aka Tony Dunn
Follow on Twitter @Cat_Chronicles