Angelo "Angel" Gazetta, a Wall Street office worker and loyal family man, is introduced to crack by his best friend, Raymond. Angel makes an initial effort to resist the drug in order to honor his obligations to his wife, Monika, and their two children. Soon, he degenerates from part- to full-time user, quits his job and begins dealing. Monika, at first placated by the trappings of the lifestyle, recognizes the escalation in Angel's use and wants change. But as a co-dependent wife, it takes little for her to believe in Angel's hollow promises. Raymond wants change too, but of a different sort. He see his partner's continued drug use as a threat to their business. Raymond confronts him about it and in an ensuing fight their partnership is broken. Without a steady supply of drugs, Angel quickly deteriorates and becomes a diseased addict with no choice but to get high, no matter the cost.