Life is hard in the Beardsley Terrace housing projects of Bridgeport, Connecticut, and seventeen-year-old Jesse Westbrook has built a dangerous reputation for himself by necessity. His family offers a calming, supportive environment, even if his stepfather has questionable mob connections.

However, Jesse's life soon takes a tragic turn when his mother and stepfather are brutally murdered on the orders of Eddie DeLuca, a mobster who doubles as Bridgeport's police chief.

Vowing to exact revenge, Jesse becomes a feared presence on the streets, dealing heroin until an overdose robs him of his main girl. Enlisting in the army, the young man fights in Vietnam, where he makes an important discovery: he enjoys killing.

Now Jesse's back in the projects, running a feared street gang and tangling with the mob, rival gangs, and the cops. It's only a matter of time before Jesse comes to the attention of Eddie DeLuca, now Bridgeport's mayor. A confrontation between mob boss and gang leader is brewing, and only one of them will make it out alive. It's up to Jesse to make sure DeLuca is the one who ends up in the morgue-or what's left of him.