In 1960 Danny Greene and his childhood friends Billy McComber and Art Sneperger are longshoremen at the Cleveland docks. The members are exploited by corrupt union boss Jerry Merke, and the leadership of the International Longshoremen's Association urges Greene to run against him. Sneperger cannot pay a gambling debt to Cleveland crime family Capo John Nardi. In return for Sneperger's debt being forgiven, Greene supplies Nardi's crew with goods stolen from the docks. Merke finds out, demands a cut of Greene's profits, and then sends an enforcer to kill him. Instead, Greene beats up the enforcer, then beats up Merke, throws the union leader out of his office, and is later elected union president. He improves the working conditions at the docks while continuing his dealings with Nardi.