Plot

Shoe-shiner Gino is hired to take the rap for a mafia murder. Two-bit gangster Jerry watches over Gino and gives him a weekend to remember.

Gino, an Italian-American shoe-shiner with a remarkable similarity to a certain mafia don, is paid to take the rap for a murder. Jerry, a two-bit gangster on probation, is given a chance for redemption by guarding Gino for the weekend. But instead of sitting around a dingy hotel room, Jerry decides to give Gino a weekend to remember, taking him to Lake Tahoe. Jerry's bragging to his friends of his important charge, as well as Gino's dignified, quiet demeanor, soon result in much complication for them both.—Mike Myers <mmyers@ucsd.edu>

Two Chicago gangsters go to Gino's shoe store and request that he meet them later by giving him a $100 bill.

At that meeting, one of the gangsters tells Gino that an important man has been "mistakenly identified" as a killer, and shows him a picture of the man, who bears a striking resemblance to Gino. His chief, Mr. Green, explains that if Gino would serve 3-5 years in prison for confessing to the crime, they will pay him enormously, providing a boat for him to live in Sicily. Gino reluctantly agrees, and Mr. Green gives him an old Sicilian coin in gratitude.

Jerry is another gangster assigned to take Gino away for a few days to train him on the story for his confession; if he does the job well, Jerry hopes to get off "probation" with his mafia bosses. After some time training in a hotel room, Jerry decides to take Gino to Lake Tahoe for two days of pleasure before he has to go to prison.

Jerry bumps into an old associate and tries to impress him that Gino is critically important in the mafia, a ruse he carries on when they arrive at a resort, where they are given an elaborate suite and showered with fantastic service, all for not cost.

The two men go to the casino with unlimited credit, where Jerry arranges for Gino to win a little on a rigged roulette table, but Gino accidentally wins $35 grand and Jerry is relieved when he loses it all on another game. He handles the loss graciously, saying, "Things change."

The gamble gets Gino a lot of attention, including the services of two showgirls.

Jerry is upset the next morning when he temporary thinks that Gino has left with the girls, then becomes more concerned when two unknown gangsters show up to invite them to lunch with a local boss, Don Giuseppe. Jerry tells him to not talk business during the meeting.

At first Don Giuseppe suspects a problem, but when Gino shows him the Sicilian coin, they bond. The two men walk along the lake, bonding further, and Don Giuseppe invites him to spend the night.

Jerry goes back to the resort, and is shocked to learn that Mr. Green is part of a huge mafia meeting at the home of Don Giuseppe that night. Jerry labors to get Gino out before they all cross paths, and steals a car to do so.

The car runs out of gas and they don't have the money to fill it up, until Gino happens to see the two showgirls at a gas station and they give him some cash. With that, Jerry drives Gino back to their hotel in Chicago, and they talk about how they will fish together in a few years in Sicily.

Jerry suddenly gets a pang of conscience and begs Gino to not go through with the deal. Gino insists that he's given his word, and must honor it.

A gangster shows up to take them to court, but tells Jerry that their boss plans to have Gino killed, by Jerry. Meanwhile, Gino walks out to the shore of Lake Michigan, and Jerry beats down the gangster in distress. Gino suddenly gets the idea to call Don Giuseppe to ask for his help.

At a court hearing, the judge sentences that other gangster-- disguised as his boss-- to life in prison.

Gino and Jerry repair shoes back in his shop. They look at each other and shrug.