East of the River

Mama Teresa runs a small New York cafe and acts as a mother figure to Nick. She keeps Joe Lorenzo out of reform school and adopts Nick, hoping they'll stay out of trouble. Her kitchen and home become the center of the family's hopes and schemes.

We learn that Joe's crime life funds Nick's education. He pretends to be out west running a ranch, but in reality he is serving time in San Quentin. This hidden life sets up the tension that drives the plot.

Joe is released from prison and returns to New York with his girlfriend Laurie Romayne, a convicted forger. They come to see Nick graduate from college, which tests family loyalties and loyalties among friends. Their arrival stirs new dynamics in Mama's cafe world.

Laurie is drawn to Mama's wholesome way of life and also falls for Nick. The attraction adds complexity to the relationships around the Lorenzo family. Laurie's choice will influence the wedding and the future of Nick's education.

Joe arrives in New York City looking for trouble and tracks down Scarfi and Turner, insisting they framed him into San Quentin. He convinces them to give him a $15,000 advance to join on a major safe-cracking job. He also anonymously tips off the police, setting a dangerous double-cross in motion.

On the night of the job, Joe escapes in the dark, leaving his partners in the lurch. Scarfi panics and kills a police officer, an act that triggers a deadly sequence and leads to his electrocuted fate.

Hearing that Turner has escaped, Joe realizes he is now the target and makes excuses to leave New York City. His flight marks a turning point as the net tightens around him.

Joe hides out in Tijuana, Mexico, and learns of Laurie and Nick's upcoming wedding. This knowledge forces him to confront his past and his tangled feelings for Laurie. The international detour adds urgency to the plot.

Returning to New York, Joe plays the good sport at a lavish pre-wedding party. He appears to be part of the celebration while plotting his next move. The tension between past and present hangs over the event.

Alone with Laurie, he threatens to reveal her prison record to Nick unless she calls off the wedding and comes back to him. The confrontation exposes the fragile loyalties and the power Joe still wields. Laurie must decide where her future lies.

Mama Lorenzo confronts Joe, delivering a blistering denunciation and revealing that she has always known he was in the penitentiary. Her words branding him a bad seed deepen the conflict between mother, son, and lover. The moment marks a turning point in Joe's self-image.

Shamed, Joe goes to Laurie's room to apologize—only to find her being held captive by Turner and his men. He is drawn into the dangerous situation as an unwilling participant. The stakes escalate as Laurie remains in danger.

Joe offers to face capture if Turner agrees to drop Laurie at the church en route to taking him for a one-way ride. Turner agrees, aligning themselves for a final showdown. The uneasy alliance sets the stage for the church confrontation.

The party arrives at a crowded church, and Joe escapes his captors long enough to assault a police officer. Turner cannot risk another capture and retreats in haste. The crowd remains unaware of the danger unfolding at the ceremony.

As Joe is taken away to the safety of jail, he waves goodbye to the wedding party. The tale ends with his incarceration and the fate of Laurie's wedding unresolved.