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?
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.
