Shubunka (Barry Sulivan) is a cynical gangster who controls the Neptune Beach waterfront. He runs a numbers racket with the local soda shop owner. The police are in his pocket and the local hoods are on his payroll.

Shubunka is the self-made head of the rackets in the sleazy boardwalk community of Neptune City, a low-rent version of Coney Island. He has become infatuated with a sultry nightclub chanteuse and lavishes her with gifts and attention, spending money on her that might better go to maintaining his hold on his operation. His obsession with her, as well as his pride, clouds his judgment as Cornell, a much more ruthless hoodlum, moves in on Shubunka's territory, bribes and threatens his associates, and compromises his operation. As if in a Greek tragedy, the petty gangster's weaknesses conspire to cause his downfall.—[email protected]

In New Jersey, the gangster Shubunka and his gang give protection to the cafe owned by Nick Jammey and other small-time businessmen on the waterfront of the Neptune Beach. Shubunka is a man that do not trust anybody and when he has an affair with the showgirl Nancy, he spends his money giving apartment, jewelry, clothing and paying the bills of his girlfriend and neglecting his racketing. Meanwhile, the gambler Karty asks to borrow a large amount from Shubunka since he has debts and has embezzled money from the garage of his brothers-in-law, but Shubunka refuses. The cashier Dorothy quits her job in the cafe since she is upset with the Shubunka's rackets. Shubunka does not pay attention to the powerful gangster Cornell that is stealing his territory despite Jammey's warnings to him. When Karty has an argument with Jammey that does not borrow money to him, Karty accidentally kills him with a frying pan. Cornell believes Shubunka killed Jammey, and Shubunka has to flee in a rainy night. However, he is betrayed by Nancy, Dorothy and his gang that refuse to help him and he has no money. What will happen to Shubunka?—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

A racketeer whose life has been one big struggle finally hits the top, but his empire is headed for trouble when he finds himself falling in love with a beautiful young woman just as his rackets are being endangered by a new breed of young gangsters.—[email protected]