Rome, October 18th, 1972. In a bar in the working-class neighborhood of Tor Marancia, a group of friends has convened, local criminals who control this particular turf. Sergio, once a boxing hopeful, unquestionably rules the roost. His word is law in this ‘hood. Suddenly a Fiat 125 pulls up outside and unloads a barrage of gunfire. It’s a local news item that will be splashed across the front pages for days to come, alarming the residents of a city whose famed ‘dolce vita’ is long behind it: a city in the grip of an uncontrollable crime wave. As rival gangs clash, a ruthless youth out for blood, Danilo, known as the Chameleon, steps in to up the ante (years later, he’ll make a decisive career move, graduating to membership in Rome’s notorious Magliana Gang). As Sergio and Danilo’s fates become intertwined, on the romantic front so do those of Chiara and Fabiana, two troubled girls doomed to play losing roles in this drama.
