Growing up in east Harlem In the 1950's was an experience unlike any other. The city blocks formed natural barriers- dividing space into what were affectionately known as "neighborhoods"- each with its own flavor and characters. Growing up in the neighborhood meant you knew everyone and everything that went on there. Loyalties were divided by what block you lived on and your education came from the street, where the "wise guys" were in charge of everything and outsiders were neither trusted nor tolerated. The friends you made in the neighborhood were the friends you kept for life. For Raymond and his young friends from the neighborhood, there was no better place to grow up. Through their small-time schemes and crimes, they slowly began to make a name for themselves. As Raymond and his crew become more "active" in the neighborhood though, they saw their opportunities dwindle- most big "scores" were tightly controlled by the neighborhood wise guys. Their fortunes changed however, the day Raymond came across the score of a lifetime- a job that could change their lives and was not on the radar screen of the local wise guys. This one job would allow Raymond and his friends to fulfill their secret ambitions, but it could also destroy their futures if they got caught by the police- or worse yet- discovered by the neighborhood wise guys. The job needed to remain a closely guarded "Neighborhood Secret."
