Omertà is a code of silence and refusal to cooperate with legal authorities that forms one of the central pillars of southern Italian organized crime, such as the Sicilian Cosa Nostra, the Calabrian ’Ndrangheta, and the Campanian Camorra. The code forbids members from turning to official legal channels for assistance, even when they are victims of a crime. A wrongly convicted person is expected, under omertà, to serve their sentence in silence rather than provide information that could identify the real offender. Intimidation, fear, and dishonor are used to enforce omertà; violation of the code is punishable by death.
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