I, Mobster

Joe Sante lands his first important job delivering narcotics to individual customers at their homes. He shows ruthlessness by turning down a bribe from The Blonde because he has his eye on Teresa Porter. This early assignment marks his entry into the city's criminal underworld.

After serving a one-year sentence for drug dealing, Joe is released from prison. Syndicate men meet him at the gate and offer him a key position if he proves his loyalty by carrying out a murder contract. He proves his loyalty by slipping out during a Welcome Home Party thrown by his mother and completing the hit.

Over time, Joe accumulates a fortune through labor union racketeering and rises to the Syndicate's No. 2 position. Black Frankie becomes his trusted right-hand man as his power grows. To secure his grip, he places Teresa and Ernie into work within the operation.

Ernie spends his salary on narcotics and starts blackmailing Joe. One night, Ernie bursts in armed, threatening Joe and Teresa. Joe shoots Ernie, partly to protect Teresa and partly to preserve his own standing.

Teresa is questioned about Ernie’s death but refuses to implicate Joe, cementing their bond. She becomes Joe's mistress, a rare loyalty in a world of entanglements, and Joe remains faithful to her.

Syndicate boss Paul Moran grows wary of Joe's growing power, so Frankie tips Joe to Moran's location. Joe ambush-kills Moran in the apartment building lobby, elevating himself to the top man and expanding Frankie’s influence in the process.

Joe becomes a notorious figure and draws the scrutiny of the U.S. Senate Crime Commission. He repeatedly takes the Fifth Amendment, sensing the end of his era approaches. The investigation underscores the extent of his power and the looming downfall.

Frankie offers passports and safe passage on a freighter as a supposed escape route. En route, their taxi comes under fire; Joe orders Teresa to safety and escapes to an Army surplus storage yard. There, with armored tanks for cover, he kills his two stalkers.

After surviving the assault, Joe returns to his apartment only to learn from Frankie that there never was a getaway ship. Frankie coldly shoots Joe dead in front of Teresa, ending his rise. Joe is carted away by the disposal unit he had used to hide corpses.

Joe's dying words declare that someday Black Frankie will meet the same fate. Teresa survives the encounter, left to face the consequences of Joe's choices and the power vacuum he leaves behind.