The story of one day in a slum district of New York. Well-known gangster Baby Face Martin, who grew up in the neighborhood, decides to come home to visit his mother and the girl he left behind when he was sentenced to reform school. While there, he meets Dave Connell, a former friend who is now a fighting architect. At first, Connell is a little disturbed that "Marty" is back in the neighborhood, but he goes along. When Marty sees his mother, she rejects him for what he has become. He later sees his girl Francie, who is now a prostitute suffering from syphilis. All of these phrases drive Marty to the brink, leading to the conspiracy to kidnap the nephew of a prominent judge. When Dave finds out, he decides to take matters into his own hands and stop Martin's conspiracy.