Frankie was old school. He knew that he had betrayed The Family. Suicide was simply the honorable thing to do, and also the only way to make sure that there was no retribution for his actions.
I've inferred from your's and Danito's posts that you think that Frankie's family would have been harmed if he didn't commit suicide. I don't think that there is much if any support for that thought. Traditionally, families of wiseguys were off-limits. The penalty he would pay for not committing suicide would be that his family wuld not be financially taken care of.
