From a macro perspective I have to say I don't understand how rats are any worse than non-rats. They are all morally reprehensible people. They all, more often than not, spend insufficient time in prison compared to the gravity of their crimes and impact on society. They're a necessary evil because without them it would've been harder to break the mafia's stranglehold and their crimes would be even harder to prosecute.
Again, looking at it from a macro perspective. I've never seen a mobster in my life unless I passed them on the street, so the animus towards rats I don't get.
If I was a criminal with a street code, then yes I would hate them, but I'd also have the self-awareness to know my morals are different to John from Accounting or Helen from Human Resources.
I don't know if there's ever been a research paper done on how many rats reoffend, but it has to be very little. For every Casso or Gravano, there are twenty guys like Leonetti or D'Arco.
Is it not a good thing when people are offered the chance to be rehabilitated and reintroduced into society?
I guess it's an issue because these were big boys that were all grown up and able to make a decision about their lives. So they knew very well what they got into and decided to dedicate their life to a life outside of ordinary society. And then when they get caught, they sell out everything they claimed they "used" to believed in and f*cks it all up for a guy who were smart enough to not get caught. To me, that's just a rotten and spineless personality.
Also I can't help but to feel that most guys who turned because there was a contract out on them or "they thought they would be killed" only say so to justify their ends or to convince the public that they had no choice so they're not really a rat.
The only rat I have respect for is James Calandra from the Bath Avenue crew. He told it like it was and didn't sugarcoat it.
I think he said something in the line of
"Yeah I ratted. I went to prison. Kept my mouth shut and when i get out everybody turns on me all of a sudden. Guys, ratted on me. Even the higher ups started turning. What am I going to do be a sucker?"
