What if a group of top leaders agree that certain information can be given because it will not hurt anyone, or if a dying guy says "Give them my name for a few old crimes" I don't consider that ratting, Vito Genovese had guy who he would tell to talk to the FBI, but the guy would give nothing significant. The guy would report back to Genovese and tell hi what they seemed interested in. Genovese would use that info to see who might be pointing them at it. I think in the end, they (The Mafia) decide who is a rat, not us.
In Ricca's case, the information he gave definitely hurt Cerone, even though Cerone had no choice but to accept it. If what Ricca did was not ratting just because he was the boss and had the supreme authority to decide who is a rat and who isn't, then by that logic Joe Massino could also say he isn't a rat because "the boss is the boss" and can do whatever he wants.
