And you don’t have to believe me but I’ve been around wiseguys my whole life. I come here to read what amount to basically gossip about people I used to know. I don’t talk about people who are still alive because to me that is dry snitching (ratting). But let me tell you first hand that none of these guys would piss on you if you were on fire unless they could get something out of it. Older generations like my grandfather and his people it was a different story. There was a respect that doesn’t exist today. But that was when Italians were actually discriminated against and lived in relative poverty. Those guys were also involved in rackets like policy and bootlegging. Stuff your average person didn’t think was a bad thing and is even legal run by the government today. That generation is gone. There were wiseguys I considered friends in the younger generations but if you are actually connected to the street and savvy you know that when push comes to shove they would fuck you over in a cocaine heartbeat. Even if they are relatives. Almost every single one of them. I found myself in a situation where I realized I was being setup to take the heat on something from someone I trusted. My eyes opened real quick and haven’t looked back. Fortunately I never ended up in a position where I had to actually think about cooperating. But when you are sitting in that chair and realize somebody who acted like they love you was setting you up to take all of the punishment, has done this to others, and was only treating you like their cugine when they had something to exploit you for… hard to say what you would do. When you realize that’s how the life works you get out of it if you are smart and aren’t too deep. Plus your “friends” would set up your murder and try and bang your wife after just as likely as they’d rat you out. Honor and respect is the movies. My two cents.