 Gangster Sonny is the big man in Calogero s Bronx neighborhood. A shooting witnessed by Calogero is the starting point of a lasting bond between the gangster and the small boy. Father (bus driver Lorenzo), however, disap- proves. Calogero grows up under the wings of both men, torn between his own natural honesty and his fascination with Sonny. C s neighborhood cronies get involved in theft, use of guns, racial fights. When C meets girl, things don t become easier. C s leap to manhood is marked by tragedy, but also by his recognition of the many faces of love.