Apalachin, upstate New York, 1957. When small town police sergeant Ed Croswell (David Arquette) apprehends Carmine Galante (Gino Cafarelli), an associate of suspected mobster Joe Barbara, a corrupt state judge shuts down the arrest. Six months later, when Vito Genovese (Robert Davi), the head of the New York City mob, decides to convene a 'sit-down' of Mafia families from across the country, he chooses Barbara's Apalachin home as the location. As the guests begin to arrive in town, Croswell's suspicions are raised, and he soon makes a decision that will forever change America's view on organised crime.