During the 1950s, a small gang of juvenile delinquents robs a warehouse. Caught in the act by the night-watchman, three of the gang kill the watchman while the fourth hides between some crates. The fourth gang member is Dino Minetta and is 13-years old while the others are 17 and 18-year old. The gang is arrested and Dino is sent to a state reformatory where he serves three and a half year sentence. After his parole, Dino is escorted back to his parents' home by a state-appointed parole officer named Frank Mandel. As part of his parole conditions, Dino must meet with his parole officer once a week. Mandel likes Dino and realizes he's not a hardened criminal but rather a scared child coming from a broken home. Dino's father is a physically and verbally abusive man. Therefore, Mandel hopes to save Dino from a life of crime. He entrusts Dino to psychologist Larry Sheridan who also is the director of the local settlement house, a sort of Community and Youth Centre. Sheridan starts daily therapy sessions despite Dino's rebellious resistance to therapy and counseling. At the settlement house, Dino gets into conflict with a youth gang of older boys, called The Golden Dukes. Nevertheless, Sheridan makes progress with Dino. Dino even meets a lovely young girl, named Shirley, at the settlement house and the two start dating. Unfortunately, a crisis erupts when Dino's father attempts to beat Dino again but Dino stands-up for himself. Dino's hatred of his abusive father feeds Dino's desire to kill him. Also, Dino's younger brother, Tony, who looks up to Dino as a role model, decides to tell Dino that he joined a juvenile gang of delinquents, called The Silk Hats. Tony convinces Dino to become the gang's leader and to participate in an upcoming armed robbery of a gas station. The robbery is to take place at one o'clock at night. However, that evening, Dino is also invited to a dance organized at the settlement house by the Golden Dukes boys. Shirley and other girls are also invited. Dino goes to the dance, eager to see Shirley again, but at the back of his mind is the armed robbery planned for that same night.