Nunzio

Nunzio Sabatino is a grown man who behaves with the demeanor of a child. He lives with his mother and brother Jamesie and works as a bicycle delivery man for Angelo. His simple routine and affectionate family life define his early world.

He dresses in sweatshirts with a shield and a capital 'N', wears a cape, and jumps across rooftops. Younger children like Georgie admire his do-gooder image. The fantasy of being a superhero shapes his daily rituals.

A gang led by JoJo taunts him for his costume and diminished faculties. They take advantage of his vulnerability, making his day-to-day life difficult. The persistence of bullying casts a pall over his childhood-tinged heroism.

He becomes infatuated with Michelle, a bakery employee. When he expresses affection, he learns she is married with a child, shattering his fantasy. The moment exposes his longing and vulnerability.

He stops accepting tips for deliveries, arguing that Superman would not take money for good deeds. His stance confuses his mother and brother. This moment signals a shift from carefree heroism to burdened responsibility.

Delivering groceries to Maryann, JoJo's girlfriend, he is coerced into having sex. They both feel guilty and unsettled afterward. He confides to the local priest, whose fiery sermon condemns casual sex and damnation.

Nunzio worries he is a burden on his mother and brother and begins neglecting his job at Angelo's. After an argument with Jamesie, he decides to pack his bag and leave. The decision marks a turning point toward independence.

On the streets, he encounters JoJo and his gang again but hides in the basement of an apartment building. The pursuit ends with the basement fire spreading, threatening the residents.

Nunzio, on the roof when the blaze erupts, descends the fire escape to warn as many residents as possible. He moves from window to window, urging people to evacuate.

First he carries the leg-braced resident down to safety. Then he returns for the sleeping baby, improvising a swaddling from his jacket and tying the bundle to his back with a rope. Unable to use the fire escape, he leaps to a lower landing, collapsing as the firemen reach him and the child.

A few days later, Nunzio and his friends and family, including the rescued woman and baby, assemble on the building's stoop for a photograph. They hold the newspaper headline that describes him as 'Superman'. The moment cements his status as a communal savior in the eyes of his neighbors.

The act of heroism lingers in the community, and Nunzio is celebrated as a local guardian despite his quirks and limitations. The closing image reinforces the idea that courage can come from the most unlikely people.