Mean Streets - Plot

Plot

Charlie (Harvey Keitel) is a young Italian-American man who is trying to move up in the local New York Mafia but is hampered by his feeling of responsibility towards his reckless friend, Johnny Boy (Robert De Niro), a small-time gambler who owes money to many loan sharks. Charlie works for his uncle, Giovanni (Cesare Danova), the local caporegime, mostly collecting debts. He is also having a hidden affair with Johnny Boy's cousin, Teresa (Amy Robinson), who has epilepsy and is ostracized because of her condition — especially by Charlie's uncle.

Charlie is torn between his devout Catholicism and his Mafia ambitions. As the film progresses, Johnny becomes increasingly self-destructive, growing continually more disrespectful of his creditors. Failing to receive redemption in the church, Charlie seeks it through sacrificing himself on Johnny's behalf.

At a bar, a local loan shark named Michael (Richard Romanus), comes looking for Johnny to "pay up", but to his surprise, Johnny insults him. Michael lunges at Johnny who retaliates by pulling a gun on him. After a tense standoff, Michael walks away, and Charlie and Johnny decide to leave town for a brief period with Teresa. After a calm getaway by car, the trio is eventually pursued by Michael and his henchman (Martin Scorsese), in another car. The henchman fires shots at Charlie's car, hitting Johnny in the neck, and Charlie in the hand, causing Charlie to crash the car. The film ends with an ambulance and police arriving at the scene, and paramedics take them away.