Omertà, one of the fundamental laws of the Italian Mafia, meaning the vow of silence, is considered one of the unspoken rules within the mafia jargon.
Origin of Omertà:
Its name originates from the Sicily Island, synonymous with the concept of the Mafia both in the United States and globally. In the early 1900s, Sicily Island was under a feudal system akin to medieval feudal lords holding control over the region, and the central administration ran the affairs without interfering with the local lords, known as "Ağa" in Turkish.
When Mussolini, the fascist dictator of Italy, came to power, he aimed to change this established order in Sicily. His attempts to weaken these families' power with various old tricks initially proved unsuccessful. Subsequently, Mussolini deployed the full force of the state, sending troops and police to Sicily Island, forcibly integrating the population into his army, and committing several massacres.
After this state terror in Sicily, the power of the local lords was indeed broken. However, this situation led to another problem. The people, resentful of the state, began turning to the local family leaders rather than seeking justice from the government. For example, a Sicilian whose child was killed would go to the local lord instead of the police, demanding that the perpetrator be punished equally. These conditions began to be met.
In the face of this, the local landowners in Sicily were quite pleased. Because the people, who they saw as enemies of the state, were now coming to them, and they effortlessly resolved the people's requests. In some cases, they even took money. This behavior of the people later turned into a tradition and came to be known as "omertà," meaning "silence."
Omertà Spreads to America:
Following the massive Italian migration from Italy to the Americas in the early 1900s, the traditions of Sicily were transferred to America. The Italian Mafia, enriched especially through the prohibition era and later by the drug trade, continued these Sicilian traditions. Omertà, the law of silence, became a sort of mafia jargon and one of the foundational laws of the Italian Mafia in America.
It's worth noting that omertà underwent a transformation. There's even said to be a ritual for entering the Mafia. A new mafia member's hand is cut slightly, letting blood flow, and an image of the Virgin Mary is burned, symbolizing that if the new member breaks omertà, they will burn.
When a mafia member is arrested, they take the oath of omertà, meaning they do not speak in any institution of the state. In investigations, they frequently use phrases like "I don't know," "I haven't heard," or "I haven't seen." This way, a mafia member does not testify to the police about the events they witnessed, ensuring that no evidence falls into the hands of the state. Organizations like the FBI and American police struggled against the Italian Mafia due to omertà, often leaving cases unsolved.
Omertà, the vow of silence, has become synonymous with the mafia in popular culture. It even lent its name to a popular real-time online computer game.
Omertà Kiss: Signifying "I won't talk in custody"
If a mafia member kisses another on the lips when they're being arrested, it signifies the omertà kiss, meaning "I will definitely not talk in custody."
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