There was never “honor†among them. They’ve always been glorified murderers and thieves, greedy and sociopathic. There were plenty of turncoats since the beginning, despite popular belief. The whole “family†thing was mere folklore to appear closer to the people they would then prey on.
I agree completely. But, decades ago, a lot of those mooks wanted to believe in all that "honor and family" BS because it somehow made them feel that they weren't just common criminals and scumbags, which they were. And, when opportunities were scarcer for Mafia guys, it was better for them to stand up and take a prison sentence, knowing that they'd have a good living to come back to when they got out. Today, ratting out your "brothers" in the Mob is the ticket out of prison.
