19岁的布鲁克林男孩迈克，得到了一个去纽约大学读书的机会，但却苦于一直凑不足学费。无奈之下，迈克选择了替当地的黑帮老大打工，除了要平衡课业和工作间的矛盾，迈克还有许多私人问题要处理。他新结识了一个美丽聪明的女人凯西，并被对方所深深吸引，然而他已经有了一个相处了很久的女朋友，并许诺过要娶她为妻。面临种种问题，迈克如何是好呢？...A 19 year old Brooklyn boy who is torn between two worlds when his photography portfolio wins him a partial scholarship to NYU. He must figure out how to balance his Italian neighborhood roots with the expansive, sophisticated world on the other side of the East River. This compelling coming-of-age story combines suspense, murder and loyalty. Based on Tim McLoughlin's novel "Heart of the Old Country."