letting most of these rats live seems to be punishment enough. It seems like everyone of these guys ends up saying they hate what their life has become since becoming a government witness. they aren't who they are and they can't be who they used to be. they're nobody living in nowhere and living for nothing. It beats jail, but there's always a price
I bet guys, like Joe Massino, were thrilled to trade their prison cells for freedom. Gaspipe would love to trade his cell for witness protection. Gravano is rotting in jail, he's probably kicking himself for continuing a life in crime instead of retiring in comfort. And I'd wager that some of these guys have cash stashed away to live well.
I remember in Goodfellas, when Henry was bitching about being in witness protection. As per his second autobiography, he loved the chance to watch his kids grow up and eating homemade food, compared to being alone in a jail cell. After a while, he stopped wearing disguises and seemed to openly live his life on the run. Even his Mobsters episode showed him as a pretty happy guy.
