Previous
Button Man
A Sicilian term referring to a code of silence and honor that potential Mafia members are required to swear to become “Made” in a crime family. Adhering to omertà means that members must never inform authorities or rival criminals about Mafia secrets and activities under any circumstances. Punishment for breaking the code of omertà is death.
Omertà Quotes in The Godfather
The The Godfather quotes below are all either spoken by Omertà or refer to Omertà. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Chapter 27 Quotes
“But don’t ever take sides with anybody against the Family again.”
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
In this quote, Michael reprimands Fredo for siding with Moe Green, who has served as Fredo’s surrogate (and abusive) brother in Las Vegas. Fredo initially supports Greene’s refusal to sell to the Corleone Family—and then tries to convince Michael that Moe isn’t disrespectful and abusive—and earns a severe rebuke from Michael. In this passage, Puzo highlights the supreme role loyalty plays in the Corleone Family’s business decisions. Loyalty to the crime Family always trumps loyalty to the Corleone blood family, because the Family business cannot abide traitors of any sort. The Mafia model guarantees benefits only to those who swear Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempo
Get the entire The Godfather LitChart as a printable PDF.
"My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." -Graham S.
Omertà Term Timeline in The Godfather
The timeline below shows where the term Omertà appears in The Godfather. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 23
...had chosen not to struggle against their fate.” Most importantly, Michael learns the importance of omerta, “the law of silence.” Upon arriving in Sicily, Michael settled in the town of Corleone...
(full context)
The Mafia established its power through the code of omerta and its role as an organization that protected the poor from the powerful. Over time,...
(full context)
