In 1918, Moses Vinnitsky returns to his hometown of Odessa after a period of imprisonment; determined to live luxuriously, he renames himself Misha and puts his first scheme into motion: the robbery of casino patrons.

Misha sets a plan into motion to rob Odessa's high society at a birthday party; while the raid takes a tragic turn, the case helps him noticed by Odessa's underworld.

The Bolsheviks ask Misha to get them weapons, but he doesn't want to get involved in politics; behind Misha's back, his own men devise a plan, with painful consequences.

Misha extends a helping hand to the hungry in the region while, at the same time, the Bolsheviks carry out anti-Semitic actions in Odessa; later, upon hearing that a ship carrying a cargo of guns is arriving in the port, Misha decides to take action.

In the detention centre, Misha encounters his father who has recently arrived from Moldova; meanwhile, a crowd gathers outside the centre to demand Misha's immediate release.

Misha is warned that there is a traitor amongst the ranks of his gang; despite this, he and Tsili prepare for the wedding, which the police in Kiev prepare to use as an opportunity to arrest the groom.