New York, 1863. The wild slums of the American dream city obey only one rule – the law of force. Here any kind of weapon comes into play, no one counts losses and mourns the dead. The leader of the Irish gang, Vallon, dies in a major gang fight by the hands of the leader of Native Americans, “The Butcher”. Vallon’s son Amsterdam gets to a reform school, cherishing hatred towards The Butcher, who became the owner of the surrounding neighborhoods. Some years later, Amsterdam returns back to his native streets to seek revenge for his father’s death.