What is omerta?

abechstein

Basically, the "code of silence" which grew up in the south of Italy. It's normally associated with the Cosa Nostra, but this article indicates that the idea of not assisting legal authorities in any way predated the Mafia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omert%C3%A0 Oct 07 10, 10:04 PM

speeddemon_1

Omertà is a popular attitude and code of honor, common in areas of southern Italy, such as Sicily, Calabria, and Campania, where criminal organizations like the Mafia, 'Ndrangheta, and Camorra are strong. A common definition is the "code of silence". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omerta Oct 07 10, 10:22 PM

Zbeckabee

omertà This Italian word has gained a foothold in English, but is often mispronounced by stressing its second rather than its final syllable, giving it a sound more suited to an Irish surname. Omertà has entered mainstream American English carrying an unfortunate amount of organized-crime-lore baggage. It is the one-word title of the last book (published posthumously) by Mario Puzo (author of The Godfather), and appears in at least a dozen American judicial opinions (all with indications that it means nothing more than criminal complicity, "death to the informer," etc.). However, what I believe to be its correct etymology points toward nobler origins. Joe Bonanno, in his book, A Man of Honor, claims that the word derives from uomo ("man"), and other sources theorize that it is a corruption of umiltà ("humility"), but I believe that neither is correct. The characteristic "-tà" ending (equivalent to the English "-ty" or "-ity") is added to the root "omer." The Italian word omerico means "Homeric," i.e., pertaining to the works of Homer or the code of the Homeric hero. Thus, omertà is the quality of the Homeric hero: loyalty to one’s comrades, valor in combat or when captured, etc. http://homepages.nyu.edu/~jmm257/omerta.html Oct 07 10, 10:45 PM