Ray Boy Calabrese is released after 16 years in prison. He, along with two friends, chased a child to his death out of sheer hatred on the Belt Parkway. Although he bore no direct responsibility for the boy's death, his conviction caused the neighborhood to split into two camps. Some despise him, while for others, the incident symbolizes the birth of a legend. The victim's brother, Conway D'Innocenzio, works at a pharmacy, cares for his father, and seeks revenge on his brother's killer. When Alexandra, his childhood sweetheart, returns to Brooklyn disillusioned after a failed Hollywood career, she uses him to escape her home, where her father cannot cope with the death of her mother. She has only returned to her family to get back on her feet in Brooklyn before moving on to Manhattan. The return of Ray Boy Calabrese disrupts the community.