Don't underestimate the power of fiction. Heroes are not necessarily "good." Read some Dashiell Hammett for example.

Since we're talking about fiction... In Burn Notice, they routinely stop people from using torture to try to get actionable intel, because "people will say whatever they think you want to hear, just to make it stop"

A lot of cop shows use the sort of light torture that America used. Rough the suspect up and get him to talk.

Tony Soprano is the protagonist. He has people killed and kills people. He isn't set up as a villain.