A searing, generational tale of organized crime and corruption as seen through the lens of two brothers who take divergent paths in life.

SYNOPSIS:

We open on JAMES, a young Las Vegas police officer, being brought on stage by his CAPTAIN to receive an award for courage under fire. We then flash back to an infant James being baptised by a Priest. His doting mother, MARY, is present. Back in the present, James looks at a photo of himself and his brother ADAM when they were boys. As James goes to speak, we hear Adam's voice-over, telling us how he could never manage to do right in this life. Back in the past, we see the boys' father ROSSI, a New York mayoral candidate, giving a powerful speech to his constituents. But various mobsters, such as GAMBINO and ROMANO, plot on his downfall. GOLDSTEIN, a Jewish gangster, harbours particular rage towards Rossi, but knows killing him will only create a martyr. Rossi and Mary pick up Adam and James from school as Goldstein's MUSCLES watch them from a distance. Goldstein invites FRANK, a politician and old friend of Rossi's from college, for help digging up dirt on the man. At the Rossi home, the family watches Nina Simone sing on TV, and Mary remarks how she hopes to see her in concert someday. Frank comes to Rossi and tells him that Goldstein is planning a construction development and is secretly planning to kick out four hundred tenants without re-housing them. Rossi is outraged, and Frank informs him that he knows someone in construction who'd be willing to back Rossi's campaign financially and make him rich, but in exchange he wants him to sign an indictment of Goldstein's development. Rossi agrees, unaware that Frank is recording their exchange on tape, making him look corrupt.

The tape is leaked to the press, who begin to hound Rossi and his family. Rossi goes in to see Goldstein, who he accuses of being behind the smear. Goldstein turns around and threatens Rossi, revealing that he has Mary being held captive. He demands that Rossi suspend his campaign if he wants to see his wife or family alive again. With no choice, Rossi goes to the press, admitting falsely that he was taking payoffs and stepping down from the race. Mary is released safely, but the damage to Rossi's reputation is done as a TENANT from the building Goldstein's tearing down blames Rossi for his misfortune and punches him in the face. At school, Adam gets in trouble for fighting another pupil who disparaged his father. Rossi can't take the pressure and decides to leave, figuring his family is better off without him. Mary is relegated to working at a diner, where she gets into an argument with a CUSTOMER who speaks ill of Rossi. When she starts to speak about how he was set up, Mary is grabbed by Goldstein's Muscle and brutally beats her. Mary grabs the worried kids and moves what remains of the family to Las Vegas, where she makes her living as a singer in a seedy lounge. Money is scarce and she's struggling to pay the rent. She sends the boys off to school, unaware that, while James attends classes, Adam is going to make money of his own as a shoe shiner on the Vegas strip.

There, he chats with CHARMAINE, a white trash hooker who's befriended him. One day, he shines the shoes of JOSEPH, a crime don, and his associate HENRY. They're trying to come up with a spectacle for the grand opening of a casino, and Adam suggests launching a rocket. Henry bristles, but Joseph likes the idea. Henry tosses a dollar on the ground for Adam, who gets offended and stands up for himself. Henry is incredulous, but Joseph respects the kid's gumption and demands that Henry hand him the money. Mary tries to take the boys to church, but Adam refuses to go inside. The PRIEST tells Mary they cannot force the boy to find his faith -- he must come to it naturally. Cut to twenty-five years later, where we see an older James exiting church with an elderly Mary to find Adam waiting for them outside as always. They all head in their separate directions as James needs to take his academy exam. Meanwhile, we see Joseph speaking with Henry and another goon, VINNIE, about a proposal on the table from the Romanos involving the sale of narcotics. Adam works as a courier, unloading heavy boxes with his pal HAROLD. He notices two co-workers, PAUL and AIDEN stealing parcels. He's outraged and a fight breaks out, which ends with him knocking Aiden out cold.

We find Rossi drinking his troubles away at a low rent bar, chatting with the waitress ROSE ANN -- it's clear he's a lost man. Adam's boss MIKE brings him into his office and fires him for the fight with Aidan. As Adam leaves, a limo pulls up and Joseph invites him for a ride. He tells Adam that the parcel he stopped Aidan from stealing belonged to him and invites him out to lunch. At the restaurant, Adam convinces Joseph that he could "use a guy like" him and that he's loyal. Joseph tells Adam to stop by the casino soon and they'll find him a position. There, Joseph introduces him to the other goons and appoints him as Head of Relations. He begins sleeping with SCARLETT, niece of Mr. Romano. He returns home to Mary, who asks him if he'll ever slow down. James then gets back, thrilled to announce he passed his academy exam. Adam visits GIVINCO, a major drug trafficker and cousin of Scarlett. He sees Paul there, working as one of Givinco's pushers. Adam picks up the drugs and leaves. Joseph calls up Vinnie and says he wants to take out the head of a Mexican drug cartel named JUAN. We then meet JAMIE, a small time thug, acquiring a pistol from his friend MAYNARD. He conspires with his brother NATHAN to kill the cartel members as revenge for the gang-rape of their sister LAURA.

Outside a restaurant, Juan is gunned down by Nathan before Vinnie can get to him. Adam goes out to dinner with Scarlett and tells her about his past. She inquires about his criminal dealings, but he won't open up. She grows offended by his emotionally distant behaviour and storms out. She begs him to leave the drug game, but he just hands her a briefcase of money to give to her Givinco. After Juan's death, Joseph books Vinnie on a flight to Milan until the heat dies down. But Joseph wants to find out more about the "new blood" responsible for Juan's murder. Jamie talks to LAURA, who's stricken with Stockholm syndrome and empathises with the cartel members who attacked her. He's then called by Nathan, who informs him that a car he stole as a getaway from the hit on Juan is loaded with bricks of coke. He calls his uncle FRANK, who agrees to help him move the product. Joseph tells Givinco that a problem has arisen involving RAYMOND, the corrupt gaming commissioner, who was busted for trying to evade license regulation with bribes. They now have become aware Raymond is talking to the police. We cut to the interrogation room, where James questions Raymond. Raymond's SOLICITOR tells him he has no choice but to name names or face serious time. As a reprisal, Paul abducts Raymond's DAUGHTER from outside her school. Adam suggests to Henry and Joseph that they expand the business by buying more drugs. Joseph is unsure, but Adam reveals he was the young shoe shine boy who suggested the rocket years ago. Joseph, taken aback by how far Adam has come then gives Adam complete control of the operation, trusting he will, “make it big”.

Frank sets up a meeting between Jamie and MARCO, a jefe and his associate ESTEBAN. They agree to the coke deal, but Marcos suspects Jamie knows who killed Juan. They visit TROY, a police officer, who tips them off to Jamie's address. Esteban shows up beneath Laura's window and calls out to her. We learn they had a star crossed romance at one point, which Esteban wants to rekindle. Laura is smitten and lies to Jamie about who was at her window when he enters. She tells him she's going to stay at a friend's place but actually goes to a club with Esteban. They end up having sex, after which Esteban gets it out of Laura that Jamie was the one who murdered Juan. When Marcos learns of this, he takes the coke off Frank without paying. Meanwhile, Joseph is arrested for non compliance with the gaming commission. James is tasked with looking into Joseph's syndicate by his CAPTAIN, upon which he learns that none other than his own brother is involved. Captain wants James to bust Adam. At first he refuses, but then comes around upon realising that this could be his last chance to save Adam from himself. At the bar, Rossi stews over a newspaper article about Goldstein. He tells Rose Ann he wants revenge, and she points out a BIKER who might sell him a gun. He manages to get the gun, but only after being brutally pummelled by the bikers.

Mr. Romano arrives in Vegas, where he meets with Adam and JACK, the gaming commissioner. Adam wants to team with Romano to buy a casino, but they need to do so using legitimate means. Jack agrees to help them get a loan due to Romano's association with the esteemed Goldstein. But Jack tells Adam that Goldstein is in bed with the cartel. Marcos calls Goldstein and tells him of Juan's death, asking for money to help bring down the "top dog." We also learn Frank was killed as a reprisal. At a charity gala, Adam plunks down fifty grand for a meeting with Nina Simone, which he gives to his mother as a gift. At home, the phone rings and Mary picks up only to hear Givinco on the other line talking about a cocaine deal. She's utterly horrified and James tries to comfort her. Adam arrives back to present his mum with the Nina Simone surprise, but she's furious about his extra-legal business. James warns Adam that after Joseph's convicted, he'll be next. Mary tells Adam that God will forgive, but he doesn't believe her. Mary and James walk out, leaving a devastated Adam alone.

Scarlett comes by, now a druggie itching for a score. When Adam turns her down, she threatens to rat him out. He gives her his Rolex, then kicks her out. Scarlett goes to Vinnie and seduces him. Vinnie takes Scarlett to the police station to snitch on Adam. She speaks with James and offers him documents proving Adam's involvement in the drug trade. Troy learns they're readying to make a bust and reports it to Marcos, telling him that Vinnie is the informant on the inside. James goes to arrest Adam, who's furious at this betrayal. Henry shows up and bails Adam out. Adam, now using coke, says they need to revitalise themselves by launching the casino anew. Marcos calls Vinnie and blackmails him with the knowledge of him being a rat. He wants Vinnie to dupe Adam into joining up with Goldstein in the narcotics trade. Adam gets loaded before the meeting and a fight breaks out between he and a pair of WISE GUYS. They're spotted by beat cops who arrest Adam. Henry goes to meet with Goldstein's representative CHARLES and his bruiser, a HIT-MAN. Vinnie completes the transaction with Charles while the Hit-Man strangles Henry to death. Vinnie picks up Adam from jail, lying to him that Henry ran off with the cash. But when Adam learns Goldstein is the other party, he decides to bring the whole operation down by giving information to James. Will Adam find salvation and redeem himself after a life time of corruption, or will the ties that bind ensnare him to a precipitously sinking ship?