SYNOPSIS

The King of 42nd Street, a powerful coming-of-age story, paints a colorful, nostalgic picture of 1960's Hell's Kitchen, New York. It is a story of the sons and daughters of the tough, hard drinking dock workers, whose bitter disappointments are visited upon their children.

The protagonist is a good looking young street smart named Danny Vincent. At fifteen he is wise beyond his years. Behind the tough exterior, is a big heart with a fierce loyalty to the people he cares about.

The King Of 42nd Street begins in 1969. Danny is 20, and in prison awaiting trial for murder. The story flashes back to Hell's Kitchen in 1963. Danny and his buddies wreak havoc in the neighborhood, hustling marks on 42nd Street and defending their turf from rival gangs. They drink beer, smoke cigarettes, sing doo-wop, and plan the next hustle or gang war while hanging out on the rooftops, their neighborhood sanctuary. They sweeten the air of Hell's Kitchen with their voices, Danny's beautiful voice makes everyone stop and listen, especially Rosalita who adores him.

The drama returns, when a fight with a rival gang goes horribly wrong. In the chaos of battle, Danny's best friend Billy, is killed by a bullet from the gun of a rival gang member named The Enforcer. Danny vows revenge. As he confronts his childhood friend's killer, he is seriously wounded. The Enforcer escapes.

The story continues on through Danny's recovery, his alignment with the mob and Frankie "the Nose" Capellano, who takes a liking to this young streetsmart tough. Danny loses himself in a world of strippers, drugs and the nightlife of Times Square. As he grows, he walks a fine line between a life of crime and the tremendous talent he was blessed with.

Danny meets Heather, a gorgeous Grace Kelly type who is also the daughter of Nevada's Governor. As fate would have it, it's the same Heather he met briefly when they were both kids at Palisades Amusement Park. They have an affair. Despite her beauty and upbringing, she is emotionally unstable and has a painful secret. One night, the secret comes to light as her father, the Governor, shows up at her apartment. He forces her to continue an incestuous affair that was part of Heather's childhood.

Heather commits suicide. As Danny tries to move on with his life. Rosalita, his Hell's Kitchen girl, now grown into an exotically beautiful, self assured young woman shows up to comfort Danny. Danny is swept off his feet by this woman with whom he once shared secret crushes. They connect now, as successful (and very sexy) young adults.

All this time, revenge has not left Danny's soul. This leads to a final bloody confrontation between Danny and The Enforcer in a viscious knife fight where Danny gets his revenge. As Danny comforts an hysterical Rosalita, the other Hell's Angel takes the bloody knife from the Enforcer's body and puts it in his pocket of his leather motor cycle jacket. Danny is arrested for murder, and we are back at the opening of the story in the Tombs prison, 1969.

The trial begins. It does not go well for Danny. The Enforcer's knife has disappeared. Then, in the second week of the trial there is a stunning reversal of fortune for Danny and he is exonerated.

In the epilogue, Danny once again returns to the old Hell's Kitchen neighborhood. In a touching closing scene, beautiful doo-wop melodies once again bring magic to a lovely summer night in Hell's Kitchen.