Vinnie is a young man whose life is an uphill battle: he is an outcast at school because he cannot get along with either teachers or students, he is a local courier for Mafia-boss Ciccio at night and, when not so occupied, spends his time practicing boxing at the gym. He shares his mother's cramped home in government housing with two other siblings and his mother's lover — whom he does not like. His father's boxing career and Mafia involvement set a pattern for Vinnie's current lifestyle. When Vinnie's music teacher Bonnie enters his life, she encourages him to get involved as a drummer with the school band, while his girlfriend Gloria and others influence him to stay away from the Mafia.