In point of fact, however, the "Omerta" is not confined to
Italians. It is a common attribute of all who are opposed to
authority of any kind, including small boys and criminals, and
with the latter arises no more from a half chivalrous loyalty
to their fellows than it does from hatred of the police and a
uniform desire to block their efforts (even if a personal
adversary should go unpunished in consequence), fear that
complaint made or assistance given to the authorities will
result in vengeance being taken upon the complainant by some
comrade or relative of the accused, distrust of the ability of
the police to do anything anyway, disgust at the delay
involved, and lastly, if not chiefly, the realization that as
a witness in a court of justice the informer as a professional
criminal would have little or no standing or credence, and in
addition would, under cross-examination, be compelled to lay
bare the secrets of his unsavory past, perhaps resulting
indirectly in a term in prison for himself.
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