danny himself has a drug addict for a brother and a cousin in organized crime. after an incident in which danny beats up a junkie to supply another junkie with heroin, his conscience begins to bother him. he is approached by internal affairs and federal prosecutors to participate in an investigation of police corruption. in exchange for potentially avoiding prosecution as well as federal protection for himself, his wife, and his children, ciello wears a wire and works undercover to expose the inner workings of illegal police activity and corruption. he agrees to cooperate as long as he does not have to turn in his partners, but his past misdeeds and criminal associates come back to haunt him.