Mob boss Paul Vitti and his ''consigliere'' Dominic are discussing an upcoming meeting and the Mafia's present-day problems. Just as Dominic warns Vitti to look out for Primo Sindone (an up-and-coming mafioso who wants to be ''capo di tutti capi''), gunmen drive past and kill Dominic. Vitti only barely survives.
Near the completion of his sentence in Sing Sing prison, Paul Vitti's life is threatened by assassins and corrupt guards while incarcerated. He starts singing showtunes from ''West Side Story (musical)'' to get the attention of Ben Sobel, who previously hung up on him while attending his father's funeral. The FBI calls in Ben to see if Vitti is really insane. This appears to be the case, and the FBI approves Ben taking Vitti out of prison, into his own custody, for further therapy. On their way out in Sobel's car, Vitti reveals that he faked it. Needing some therapy himself after his father's death, a grieving Sobel talks Vitti into finding a regular job (as requested by the FBI). Vitti attempts to find a legitimate job (he tries a car dealer, a restaurant, and a jewelry store), but his rude manners and paranoia only complicate things further. This ends up in him getting fired each time.
