The Donnellys are four young working-class Irish-American brothers who live by this motto, "family above all", despite their involvement with organized crime in New York City.
While Jimmy is sitting in a holding cell, Tommy and Kevin visit him without any remorse for what they did to avenge their brother and protect their family. After everything, Tommy decides that it's the time to confide his feelings for Jenny Reilly, which ultimately leads to more than friendship. To cover their back, the brothers dispose of the body. Meanwhile, Nicky Cottero seizes control of the Italian mob while the murder investigation begins.
Tommy is shocked when Kate, Huey's widow, asks him to host the murdered ringleader's wake at the Firecracker. When the brothers realize the taps are dry, Kevin and Joey Ice-Cream go on a mission to find alcohol and end up supplying the Irish wake with kosher wine. When Jimmy appears to pay his respects, it raises Dokey's suspicions that his brother Huey was killed by the troubled Donnelly boy, ultimately leading to a standoff.
When Nicky Cottero threatens the boy’s mother, Helen, Tommy realizes the Italian's new mob boss means business. Tommy takes Dokey's bribe after exhausting all other options, and during a visit to Huey's widow, steals a box that Dokey wants.
Tommy realizes the guy about to get busted for not paying is his friend Maxwell, pulling himself into Jimmy and Kevin's bookmaking action. When Tommy decides to track the money down himself, he gets played by his friend and ultimately ends up doing the busting.
Tommy and Jimmy have a role-reversal when it's Jimmy who's painting the bar and protecting Sean from the business. Meanwhile, Tommy is collecting on payments with Kevin. A flashback to Kevin's childhood shows why he believes he's truly lucky as a gambler. Jenny struggles to maintain the family's diner and watch over her father.