1958 San Francisco Struggling jazz musician and Beat generation youth, Frank Valentine, suffers a midnight beating, leaving his left hand paralyzed. Jobless, penniless, and desperate, he agrees to join his vest friend, George, and three other buddies to work for a notorious gangster to earn quick money. What he doesn't know is that George has more dangerous plans for them... Inexperienced in the ways of crime, Frank quickly slips...