A bartender (Modine) tries to get a thrifty drinker (Landau) to leave him a decent
tip by spinning an elaborate tale of two warring mobster families fighting over the
San Fernando Valley: the Minetti's (led by Gazzara) who own an Italian restaurant
in the West valley and the Mulroney's (led by Durning) who own a pub in the East
valley. The war breaks out when hothead Paulie Minetti (Baio) stiffs a waitress
out of her tip at "Big Paddy's."