Jean Paul Comeau is born to an alcoholic father and hapless mother. He lives in the smog of industrial Kensington on the Canadian east coast. In his small city, gangs rule the streets. Ghetto thugs lure marginalized kids into escalating lives of crime, and even Jean Paul is not immune to their promises of wealth and power.
When a drug deal goes wrong Montreal bikers make their way to Kensington to kill Jean Paul. He has one option: run. He thinks of America, land of the free, and a girl he once met named Debbie who lives in New York. He hits the road to follow the woman of his dreams and escape the life of crime that surrounds him.
In The Big Apple Jean Paul tries to re-make himself as a man of integrity: discrete, determined, and loyal. However, these exact attributes draw the attention of local crime bosses. When he discovers Debbie's family has ties to the Mafia, he sees no way to escape. Will Jean Paul return to a life of crime or die fighting to be a good man?