Peter Romano is a lonely Italian boy growing up in the Irish part of South Philadelphia with a father who is absent most of the time, either working long hours or just away. As a result, Peter, an only child, is left to his own devices, learning street smarts while hanging out on the corners of South Philadelphia, while his mother finds comfort in the arms of an old childhood sweetheart and becomes pregnant with Peter"s stepbrother, Little Richie. His new stepfather, Richie, Sr., is a good provider to the family and a role model for Peter. Peter goes full circle from having no one to look up to and having nothing in the way of material possessions to sharing rides in expensive cars and enjoying summers at the Jersey shore with his new "father." Later in life, Peter falls prey to the temptations that drugs, dealing, women, and money produce, and he ends up addicted to the lifestyle the drugs can buy - the glamorous women on his arm, the cars, and the jewelry - but something is always missing. He can never forget the simple bond he had with his family or what was always right for Peter and what he needed to get back to make his life right for his very survival. In the end, when Peter thinks all is lost and he is going to be sent away, a strange turn of events shows him the way back home and what love really means.