"They Place Their Lives In Forefit"

Ive never really understood this quote from tom after sonnys death where hes talking about the testimony of sonny bodyguards. Does he mean that sonnys bodyguards will be put to the sword for not doing an adequate job of protecting him?

Any help??

That line was actually spoken by Clemenza (to Don Vito). Vito wanted to know for certain if Sonny was dead, and Clemenza replied that Sonny's bodyguards saw the body lying there and knew that he was dead for sure. To make their "testimony" final they "put their lives in forfeit" (kind of like swearing on their lives that what they saw was real).