Young neighborhood hoodlum Viccent Coll is attracted to music student Elizabeth. Their paths cross several times as the tries to climb to the top of the reckets on the bodies of his murder victims. Because of the pleasure he takes in killing, everybody but his mob and his moll, ex-stripper Clio, calls him “Mad Dog.” He is hunted by both the police and gang leader Dutch Schultz on whom he has declared war.