O is for Omertà

O is for Omertà

(From the A-Z of Secrecy and Ignorance Series)

Kate Thornton, Politics and International Relations Student, University of Bristol

Omertà is an evocative term originating from Italy. Although its literal translation is silence, this term does not simply mean the absence of words, rather it signifies an overall culture of silence, one that is rooted in the practice of secrecy as an oath. This practice is rooted in the historical fabric of the Italian Mafia, which consists of multiple, centuries-old, organised crime groups that operate in southern Italy and Sicily (Paoli, 2004). Born out of distrust of the Italian government, the Mafia created their own distinct subculture within Italy (Hess, 1973). The Mafia bypassed the Italian government by “engaging in profit-making criminal activities but also exercise quasi-political functions that heavily influence economic and political life” (Paoli, 2014: 122). In Sicily especially, the culture of the Mafia was deeply rooted in all aspects of everyday life (Arlacchi and Ryle, 1986).

The omnipotence of the Mafia within Italian society was ensured by their strict practice of criminal codes, the Mafia would follow “explicit or implicit norms, regulations and expectations” (Catino, 2015: 537). One of these regulations was omertà, which is the policy of remaining silent about the activities and crimes of the mafia (Andriyenko, 2019). It is one of the most integral elements within mafia theory as it “binds the members of the organisation to secrecy” shielding their illicit activities from the state policy and securing their collective nature (Catino, 2015: 538). The presence of silence and secrecy within Italian society promoted a sort of “social cohesion through an acceptation of rules” as it created a “collective conduct” through which members of the Mafia were expected to follow. Omertà sits at the core of this societal integration, as their secrecy protects one another from the authorities interfering with their criminal activities (Andriyenko, 2019). Therefore, the code of omertà is mutually beneficial for all involved.

However, although omertà facilities social cohesion, the true value of the code is in its power to create and maintain loyalty. Ellsberg views omertà as an “expression of loyalty to the organisation” (Ellsberg, 2010: 779), recognising the compliance and allegiance that silence offers to the group. Within mainstream media today, the Italian Mafia is often characterised for their excessive use of violence in order to exercise fear and compliance (Sciarrone, 2018). However this view is inaccurate, as it is actually the presence of omertà, not violence, that ensures loyalty to the organisation. Gambetta outlines a series of advantages for substituting violence for omertà (Gambetta, 2000). Primarily, a stronger dose of omertà results in the lessening of violence, a transition which is valued by the Mafia as violence often led to complications with social cohesion and the state police (Gambetta, 2000). However, more importantly, the use of omertà ensures that personal bonds are built around mafiosi secrets within family and friends, promoting a greater security of mafiosi secrets as they are tied to a personal sense of mafiosi camaraderie (Gambetta, 2000). Gambetta’s argument clearly illustrates the ability for omertà to foster a deeper sense of belonging and mutual dependence. This sentiment resulted in a stronger cultivation of loyalty within Mafiosi groups, a quality that is not secured though violence based coercion.  The superiority of omertà is argued also by Puccio-Den, who stresses that the power of Mafiacraft is embedded in “knowing how to keep silent” (Puccio-Den, 2019: 614), re-affirming the advantages of omertà within a society reliant on secrecy.

In essence, omertà weaves together an indicate tapestry of secrecy, loyalty and mutual reliance. Knowledge was an important currency with the Mafia, making the silence of members integral to the strength of the organisation. The code of omertà solidified the solidarity and loyalty of citizens to the Mafia, ensuring that their criminal activities were tightly bounded within the culture of secrecy.

References

Andriyenko, O. (2019) Omertà as a worldview phenomenon of the Italian mafia. Paradigm of Knowledge, 4(36).

Arlacchi, P. and Ryle, M.H. (1986) Mafia business: the mafia ethic and the spirit of capitalism (Vol. 3, p. 4). London: Verso.

Catino, M. (2015) Mafia rules. The role of criminal codes in mafia organizations. Scandinavian Journal of Management, 31(4), pp.536-548.

Ellsberg, D. (2010) Secrecy and national security whistleblowing. Social Research: An International Quarterly, 77(3), pp.773-804.

Gambetta, D. (1993) The Sicilian mafia: the business of private protection. Harvard University Press, Cambridge. MA.

Hess, H. (1973) Mafia and Mafiosi: The structure of power. Farnborough: Saxon House.

Paoli, L. (2004) Italian Organised Crime: Mafia Associations and Criminal Enterprises, Global Crime, 6:1, 19-31, DOI: 10.1080/1744057042000297954

Puccio-Den, D. (2019) “Mafiacraft: How to do things with silence.” HAU: Journal of Ethnographic Theory. Volume 9, number 3. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/706546

Sciarrone, R. (2018) Forms of capital and mafia violence. In Mafia Violence (pp. 72-89). Routledge