Jack Thomas (Giacomo Tomasulo) [John Gilbert] grows up believing he is an orphan, raised under the shadow of his guardian’s warnings about an elder brother in New Jersey, Frank Tomasulo, and a dying father, Francesco, both drawn into the bootlegging world of Prohibition. On Francesco’s deathbed, the old man passes along an emerald necklace as a final, cryptic gesture of family ties. Jack gives the jewel to his fiancée, Marjorie Channing [Leila Hyams], but the piece turns out to be stolen, a detail that will unravel the family’s careful façade.
When the truth surfaces, Frank Tomasulo, determined not to stain their name, compels Jack to falsely confess to the theft. The accusation shatters Jack’s engagement, sending Marjorie away to England and casting him adrift from polite society. A brief stint in jail follows, and after Francesco’s death, Jack realizes that returning to his former life is no longer possible. With Frank’s urging, he steps deeper into the family business, his moral compass steadily eroding as the gang’s plans tighten around him.
Turbulence erupts during a botched hijacking of the gang’s liquor by the Florio faction. In the chaos, Jack shoots and kills Dante [Ralph Ince], Dante being Florio’s brother-in-law, a strike that cements Jack’s place in the crew but at a terrible personal cost. Months later, Jack slips away to hide in Canada before re-emerging back in Jersey. Frank hosts a “peace banquet,” a public display meant to establish Florio as a partner and to showcase Jack in a respectable light, pairing him with Ruth Corrigan [Anita Page], Florio’s former girlfriend, to seal the peace. Florio agrees to the 50-50 split on their criminal enterprise, but with one grim condition: he wants to kill the man who shot Dante.
The party becomes a powder keg the moment Florio recognizes Jack as the shooter. Tension crackles through the room as accusations fly, fists fly, and cops storm in to shut it down. Jack confesses to wanting out, especially with Marjorie poised to return from abroad, only to learn she has married elsewhere. In a reckless moment of despair, Jack drinks heavily and weds Ruth, an act he will soon regret.
Florio, furious at the betrayal, hatches a plan to extinguish Jack and Ruth before they can flee on their honeymoon. A waiter signals Frank’s men, but Florio anticipates the betrayal and shoots the waiter, outlining his intent to kill the newlyweds immediately. Mabel [Marie Prevost], a moll in Frank’s crew, glimpses Florio and his associates advancing on Ruth’s apartment, recognizes the danger, and alerts Frank.
When Jack arrives at Ruth’s apartment, he confronts Florio’s gang and kills Florio’s girlfriend, a brutal move that prompts Florio to pivot and shoot him in the back. The wounded Florio turns toward Jack, who finishes the job just as Frank enters the scene. Mortally wounded himself, Jack sinks into sleep and fear as life drains away.
Back in Ruth’s bedroom, a doctor confirms that Jack’s time is short. He speaks with a quiet dignity, urging his brother to step away from the racket and to look after Ruth. As the end nears, Jack’s final request is for Frank to protect Ruth and the life they once planned together, even as the world he knew crumbles around him. The tale closes on a somber note of loyalty, family ties, and the dawn of a new, harsher reality born from choosing crime over conscience.
