Life in the mafia is fraught with uncertainty, distrust, suspicion, paranoid anxiety, misunderstanding: Who is the strongest? Who will be the successor? Is Don Peppe really a mafioso? Is he about to arrack another Don Peppe? Is Mr. X really protected by Don Peppe or just pretending? Is Don Peppe still strong enough to protect Mr. X? Mistakes in answering these questions occur all the time and account for many of the deaths which notoriously afflict this trade. Reading the testimony of the pentiti, one realizes that mafiosi scrutinize every sentence uttered by other mafiosi, searching for potential ambiguities, oblique messages, or subtle traps. Moreover, if a mafioso has treacherously murdered once-and most murders in the mafia are treacherous-the possibility of becoming the victim of similar treachery acquires an overwhelming salience. There is no safe, stable haven within easy reach.

XREF: Connects to game theory and signaling theory — the mafia as a high-stakes case of information asymmetry and strategic ambiguity in communication.

Diego Gambetta, The Sicilian Mafia The Busi…, loc. 404