This is a pretty decent movie about a young man, Angelo, and his friends who decide one day that they've had enough of being on the short end of things. They start out bookmaking and eventually work their way into the good graces of the local mob boss. It's not a glorification of crime as a way of life, but rather a statement on what people do sometimes to get ahead in the city.
I'd say the main weakness, what makes this come up short of being a really good movie, are the actors playing Angelo and his brother, Paulie. William DeMeo just doesn't exude the leadership qualities you'd expect in the head of a crew. He's isn't physically imposing enough and seems more like a follower not a leader. And the actor playing his younger brother, Conor Dubin, seems out of place as the only Irishman in a cast of Italians.
Joe Viterelli hands in a fine performance as Santo, the local mob boss. Viterelli was born to play the part - his face and voice are perfect. Joe D'Onofrio plays Vinnie, his spoiled, ambitious son who clashes with Angelo throughout the film.
This film wasn't shot on a big budget and there aren't any elaborate sets, but it has a nice feel to it. The characters aren't overly violent or cartoonish like you'd see in a normal Hollywood treatment. No one is screaming for attention. Angelo and his friends act like regular neighborhood kids from Brooklyn wanting to move up in the world.
A good story with a moral to the ending, and that's what it's all about.