What is the main conflict in The Valachi Papers by Peter Maas?

Joseph Valachi was a soldier in the Cosa Nostra for thirty years. He largely escapes jail time, but during the latter part of his "career," he receives a twenty year sentence on a narcotics charge. Valachi had just began his sentence when he was whisked away to New York by Federal agents. The agents hoped to pressure Valachi into talking about his drug operation by threatening him with another narcotics charge. Valachi refused to talk and was returned to the Federal prison in Atlanta. Crime boss Vito Genovese was serving time at the same facility, and he became suspicious that Valachi may have talked. As a result, he put a mark out on Valachi. Under the overwhelming pressure of having his life at risk, Valachi mistook a fellow inmate for a potential assassin and killed him. He was arrested for murder one but the charge was reduced to second degree murder when Valachi agrees to finally talk.