Frankie Machine is released from the Lexington Federal Medical Center with a set of drums and a new outlook on life, and returns to his run-down neighborhood on the North Side, Chicago. A drug addict, Frankie became clean in prison. On the outside, he greets friends and acquaintances. Sparrow, who runs a con selling homeless dogs, clings to him like a young brother, but Schwiefka, whom Frankie used to deal for in his illegal card game, has more sinister reasons for welcoming him back, as does Louie, Machine's former drug dealer.