The real question is: Is there honor among thieves? Was there ever? We tend to think of breaking Omerta as a recent phenomenon. And we think Joe Valachi was the first made Mob guy to break Omerta. Nope! Valachi was the first made guy to squeal on TV. Made guys have always ratted out others to gain favors from cops and prosecutors--even Charlie Luciano, as a young man, was alleged to have sold out a partner in a dope deal to avoid being prosecuted for his end of the deal. In earlier days, if a Mob guy was arrested and prosecuted for some so-called "victimless" crime (pimping, gambling, booze), he could expect a short sentence. It made sense for him to keep quiet--that way, he'd have a relatively comfortable stay in jail for a year or two, then be honored when he got out (and avoid being whacked for talking). But, thanks to drugs and RICO, Mob guys now face big, double-digit sentences. Faced with 20 or more years in the can, they're singing like canaries. So much for Omerta.