In the streets of the Bronx

It is the year 1960 in New York. Nine-year-old Calogero (Francis Capra) is growing up in the vibrant life of the Bronx. His father, Lorenzo (Robert De Niro), is a bus driver who does everything he can to keep his son away from the dangers of the streets. One day, an experience abruptly changes Calogero's life: he witnesses the mob boss Sonny (Chazz Palminteri), whom he has always admired, shoot a man right in front of him. Calogero covers for Sonny and now has two fathers.

Eight years later, Calogero (Lillo Brancato Jr.) is still torn between his two role models. The neighborhood has changed, with more and more Black families moving in. Here, Calogero finds his first great love and suddenly finds himself caught in the midst of the emerging racial conflicts.