Omertà is a popular attitude, common in areas of southern Italy, such as Sicily, Calabria, and Campania, where criminal organizations like the Mafia, 'Ndrangheta, and Camorra are strong. A common definition is the "code of silence." In English, it is often rendered omerta, without an accent, leading to frequent mispronunciation. This grave accent in Italian and Sicilian indicates that the final a is stressed.
The origin of the word is often traced to the Spanish word hombredad, meaning manliness, through the Sicilian word omu for man. According to a different theory, the word comes from Latin humilitas (humility), which became umirtà and then finally omertà in some southern Italian dialects.
Omertà is a code of silence, according to one of the first Mafia researchers Antonio Cutrera, a former officer of public security, that seals lips of men even in their own defense and even when the accused is innocent of charged crimes. Cutrera quoted a native saying first uttered (so goes the legend) by a wounded man to his assailant: "If I live, I'll kill you. If I die, I forgive you."
Here at The Fight Mafia we use the term Omerta as a term for respect, meaning you now are a "Made Man" and have reached a state of being Untouchable. Omerta is a code of loyalty and respect!