In 1911, Arnolphe Combalette left his corner of Provence to seek his fortune in the Americas. Fifty years later, a letter from him arrived in the village: "No, I'm not dead yet, but it won't be long now. A Combalette should be sent here to settle a question of big money". The family took counsel and delegated their youngest son, Dieudonné, a cook by trade. Dieudonné arrived safely in New York, but soon found himself short of money. Somehow, he managed to reach that prodigious corner of Texas where, he thought, his uncle's many factories would be built. Neither the factories nor his uncle, who died in poverty a week ago, welcome him there. Dîeudonné can't imagine returning to his native village to announce this new family disgrace; for one thing, he hasn't got a penny in his pocket. The owner of a modest saloon hires him as a cook.

Denis, a hypersensitive teenager, is revolted both against his distant, pretentious, well-to-do parents and their superficial society firends and the stiff, intolerant catholic establishment in which he studies. Fortunately,he has an open-minded philosophy teacher, Father Philippe de Maubrun, who understands him and supports him in his distress.

Police officer Antoine Delille is in charge of putting an end to the activities of a "kingpin", Jo Pinelli, trafficker, racketeer and pimp. He has three women working for him, including Eva and Jeannette, and is currently "conditioning" a charming, naive Orly employee, with whom he poses as an honorable businessman. Inspector Delille's plan is to arrest Jo for some crime and, while he's being held at the P.J., to delve into his other criminal activities and confound him.

Jeff Gordon, FBI agent, infiltrates a gang and finds himself in the midst of a gang war.