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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.”
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Explanation and Analysis:
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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...
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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,...
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