While tempting to role-play Tony Soprano and be indignant about rats, I think there is another reality here, which is that not all rats are created equally.

There's a big difference, to me, in a Henry Hill who just wants to save his own ass and a Pete Chiodo or Al D'Arco for example who legitimately hadn't done anything "wrong" in their LCN context but who were marked for death by their psychotic administration. Is the proper thing for Fat Pete to do just to accept being whacked for no reason, not having done anything wrong, and say "oh well, that's the life I chose, I guess I'll die now." ???

That's ridiculous. The reality is that the administration owes a duty to its members to maintain and enforce the rules of LCN. If that breaks down - and a psycho like Amuso or Scarfo comes along and re-writes the rules to suit their own agenda/paranoia/cult of personality...then people are going to do what they've got to do. You've forced them into a corner and that's on you.

Joe Massino? An enormous (literally and figuratively) piece of shit. Same for Vinny Ocean. The leaders can't betray their own people, that's the worst.

There's plenty of others who probably fall in the middle somewhere, Leonetti, diLeonardo, etc., but I really don't think you can paint all rats with the same brush. You have to look at each individual case by case.