Vinnie is a teenage boy who is an outcast at school, alienating teachers and students alike and he is a courier for the local Mafia boss. He lives in welfare housing with his mother, a young brother and sister, and his Mother's lover who he cannot stand. Vinnie takes out his aggression with the world practicing boxing at the local gym. He is haunted by images of his father (when just a boy he witnessed his father's murder) and his father's boxing career. His music teacher encourages him to get involved as a drummer with the school band, and his girlfriend Gloria and others influence him to stay away from the Mafia.