Jessie McMullen (Sean Connery) is a Scots-Irish American widower who emigrated with his Sicilian wife to New York in 1946. A lovable rogue, incorrigible womaniser and tough guy, Jessie is proud of his criminal past and lifestyle. He raised son Vito (Dustin Hoffman) to follow in his footsteps, but Vito went straight at 21 when his son Adam was born. Vito now runs a thriving wholesale Twelfth Avenue meat-packing warehouse and has left his criminal life behind.