Why do dying gangsters refuse to make statements?

Have been thinking lately: while I understand the so-called street "code of honor" about not giving up your friends/accomplices and not testifying to get you sentence reduced, I was wondering, what about the situations when a gangster has been mortally wounded and is dying, why do they refuse to identify the killers if they recognized them? I mean, killing you is one of the worst things they can do to you and, if you are in no position anymore to take revenge by the street code, using weapons, what's the point of protecting the people who KILLED YOU? I understand loyalty to friends, but loyalty to enemies is absurd imo. Like that gangster from the Chicago St.Valentine Day massacre who said "nobody shot me". How does make even little sense? Even if he hates cops more than gang rivals, he is dying, so naming the murderer wouldn't be "ratting", it would be "revenge", the only one a dying person is in a position to use.

What do you think? What's the point of refusing to identify somebody who killed you? I can even understand Frank Costello not identifying Gigante because at least he survived and, if necessary, was in a position to take care of things by himself. But a DYING person protecting THEIR OWN MURDERERS is simply laughable and stupid in my opinion. How does this even fit into the street code?

Interesting question Dwalin. In my opinion, its knowing that you would die adhering to the oath and that you will be known as true Cosa Nostra. Ratting is Ratting no matter what, even in a revenge scenario.
Do you or anyone have any other examples besides Costello?

Arnold Rothstein. The legend says that when the cops asked who shot him he replied "My mother did it"

A) They might target your family
B) These guys see Cosa Nostra as a thing of honor. Dying like a man brings great respect, even if they won't be here to enjoy it.

"If I live, I'll kill you; if I die, I forgive you."

HUGE point the original poster is missing. Not only family, but what if he had a brother that was also "in the family"? He could put that person in a world of trouble, especially if it was a family hit.

Mob guys don't take civilians out on purpose. Who is going to approve that? Hey if it was a failed hit on the mobster then that is on the shooter.

I think the obvious reason is that it's a belief about how they lived their life, rightly or wrongly in our opinion but others opinions count for nothing if you have strong beliefs...why would they consider it? Would you if it was something you had believed in for 50 plus years suddenly think it was a good idea to give a deathbed confession?

I am sure I read many examples, but I keep forgetting all those names, right now I have only 2 examples in mind:

1) Frank Gusenberg from the St Valentine Day Massacre who said "nobody shot me"

2) Benjamin Weiner killed in New York in 1948 by Bonanno associates Willie Rosenberg and Santo Bretagna. He was still alive when the police got to him, but just shook his head when asked who did it (not that it helped those 2, they fried on the chair anyway)

Courtesy of this 1963 Jimmy Breslin article....

https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2...20456&hl=en

Another example of this was in Australia Crime - Tony Eustace, who was alleged to have been murdered by Christopher Dale Flannery.

Eustace was found by two school children who were returning home from sports training at about 7 pm. He had been shot six times in the back outside the Airport Hilton in North Arncliffe and was lying beside his gold Mercedes, bleeding profusely. He was rushed to hospital.

Police attempted to speak to him, asking who had shot him, but Eustace told them to "fuck off" and died a short time later.

Who shot him?

Its the principal. If you spend your whole life building a house, you wouldn't wanna help tear it down dying or not.

And apparently they wouldn't take you for your word if u were close to dying any way. Joey Chang told EMC "Timmy got me". Timmy was a nickname of one of zips with Stanfa. No one ever even entertained a jealousy motive or that maybe they caught Joey Chnag sharing info always beeen he was delusional and it was Joey,Mikey and the boys who did it. Not saying it wasn't just pointing out even if you rat on a guy as u lay wounded your word may not be taken as the truth.

But was Timmy really one of the shooters? Did he switch from Stanfa to the Merlino faction?

Like you said, they hated cops more than other gangsters. And also they may not have been certain they were dying. Before Witness Protection they might have figured it was better to take their chances, than be an informant.

I think like many things in LCN we don't the whole story. Only people that testified were Natale a known bs artist and horsehead scafidi who said Mikey Chang held gun to his head and forced him to join hit party. Neither of those guys are believable in my book. Maybe I'm wrong but I think more was going on here then we are aware.

Agreed!.....It makes no sense and maybe they are worried about ratting out the person who did it KNOWING that they only did it because their direct superiors(Capo, Boss) told them to do it.....Maybe the preservation of LCN is important to them since a lot have family involved in LCN.......You could essentially hurt the people and their ability to make money by speaking......Just speculation of course.

I also know that a lot of LCN member have such a deeply held disdain for government and their desire to take them down that, they are willing to give their own life to basically give them the proverbial finger of silence......I must say that, you gotta support their dedication either way.

What was "Timmy's" real name? Do you know? I think I saw this mentioned on one of the Mob Talk videos before by George Anastasia, but he never gave a full name either. Just said that the feds speculated that Timmy may have been a name/nickname for one of Stanfa's gunmen.

Did this Timmy really even exist? Or was Joey Chang just pulling something similar to the "I don't know who shot me" line by giving some generic name that he knew wouldn't be connected to anyone.

You honestly think if a civilian threatened to put some big mob boss away they wouldn't at the least get threatened? Yes as time went out it was frowned upon. But in the era we of the murders we seem to be discussing anyone was fair game. If you were high enough up the ladder and one civilian stood in your way you better believe someone like Lucky would have had that person buried.