一个黑手党家族中,弟弟强尼因强奸少女被仇家击毙。大哥雷和二哥奇斯陷入失去手足的痛苦之中,他们千方百计寻找真相,终为弟弟洗清罪名。奇斯难以克制对弟弟的思念,开枪自杀。这个家族最后只剩下悲伤的女人们。In the 30's, in New York, the coffin of the leftist gangster Johnny Tempio is brought to the house of his older brother Ray for the wake of family and friends. Ray is a cold gangster that likes to read and is married to Jean. His brother Chez is a hot head that runs a bar and is married to Clara . Ray decides to revenge the murder of his younger brother and believes the gangster Gaspare is the one who killed Johnny. Meanwhile Chez has a breakdown with tragic consequences for the Tempio brothers.