In New York City, a secret police investigative group called the “Seven-Ups” pursues criminals whose crimes earn sentences of seven years or more. After they successfully break up a counterfeiting gang, team leader Buddy meets with Chief Inspector Gilson. Although Gilson must defend the frequently harsh, unorthodox methods employed by Buddy and his team, which includes Mingo, Ansel and Barilli, he is pleased by their success and asks Buddy to investigate illegal bondsman Festa. The next afternoon, Buddy meets with childhood friend Vito Lucio, a funeral parlor manager and informer, from whom he extracts the name of top loan shark Max Kalish. Unknown to Buddy, Vito targets the mob bosses under police investigation, directing his henchmen, disguised as police detectives, to kidnap the criminals for ransom. That evening, Vito’s henchmen, Moon and Bo, identifying themselves as undercover police detectives, pick Kalish up at his home. The following day under directions from the kidnappers, Kalish’s men take a briefcase with the ransom payment to a car wash where Moon and Bo retrieve it. Later, they release Kalish unharmed and Moon delivers the money to Vito. Soon after, Buddy and his men stalk Festa downtown and are startled to witness his kidnapping by Moon and Bo, who again identify themselves as police detectives. Puzzled, Buddy contacts Vito to ask about Festa and his friend confides that Festa’s partner, Carmine Coltello, is holding a funeral service at his mortuary the next day for his brother-in-law. Hoping to glean information on Festa, Buddy arranges to watch the mortuary with Barilli from an apartment across the street while Ansel is disguised as one of the funeral limousine drivers. Several mob leaders, including Kalish, gather at the funeral home before the service to discuss Festa’s kidnapping. Although Festa’s son Benny pleads for the men to pay the ransom, several express their strong disapproval. Kalish and another boss acknowledge they quickly met the kidnappers’ financial demands upon their respective abductions, but Kalish wonders frankly if they will continue to be harassed despite paying. After one of the guards reports seeing a suspicious wire on Ansel’s clothing, the detective is lured inside and beaten when a radio device is found on him. Incensed, Kalish is convinced that Ansel works with the kidnappers and after the service angrily orders Coltello to take the bound and gagged Ansel instead of the money to the ransom drop at the car wash. Frightened, Coltello nevertheless obeys and the unconscious Ansel is locked inside the trunk of his car. When Mingo, who was to follow Ansel, radios Buddy that Ansel is not in the funeral procession as planned, Buddy and Barilli run to the mortuary in time to witness Coltello driving away. Following, they witness him drive through the car wash without incident until Moon and Bo, disguised as car wash workers, jump in the car and at gunpoint force Coltello to drive to a garage managed by their associate Toredano. Buddy and Barilli follow at some distance and wait outside of the garage. Meanwhile, the anxious Coltello offers to bargain for Festa, which Moon immediately rejects. After Coltello nervously drops the keys to the trunk and attempts to flee, Moon shoots him in the back, then, suspicious, shoots through the trunk of the car. When the blast forces the hood open, Moon and Bo are puzzled to find the critically wounded Ansel, but, hearing the approach of Buddy and Barilli, they jump in another car and hide beneath the dash. In the garage, Buddy is horrified to find the bleeding Ansel, but when Moon and Bo abruptly speed away, he leaves him with Barilli and follows them on a wild, high-speed chase through the streets of New York to a parkway where Buddy crashes into the back of a stalled semi-truck. Only slightly injured, Buddy later joins Barilli and Mingo at the hospital where they discover Ansel has died and Coltello remains in critical condition. Disturbed by Ansel’s death and the subsequent press inquiry, Gilson questions Buddy on the group’s current investigation. When Buddy asserts that he is unaware of the recent mob ransom kidnappings, Gilson angrily tells him that the press believes rogue, undercover police are conducting the kidnappings. Furious at the suggestion that the Seven-Ups are involved and by Gilson’s order to halt all investigations, Buddy storms off and contacts Vito. After learning of Ansel’s murder from Buddy, Vito meets with Moon to inform him that he will be unable to get further information from Buddy because his unit has been shut down, he is calling a halt to the kidnappings. Despite Gilson’s orders, Buddy, Barilli and Mingo question Toredano on their own, but, having been physically grilled by the police before to no avail, Toredano provides no information. Frustrated by Toredano’s silence, Buddy returns to the hospital where he threatens to remove Coltello’s oxygen unless he reveals who shot Ansel. Although surprised when Coltello manages to mutter Kalish’s name, Buddy and the others go to Kalish’s house and at gunpoint demand an explanation. When Kalish details the ransom kidnappings and mentions his circle of mob colleagues who have been affected, Buddy writes down their names. Later at a diner he compares the list to that of the mob bosses Vito has informed upon and realizes the connection. Late that night, Buddy summons an anxious Vito for a meeting and asks for information on Toredano. The next morning, Buddy, Barilli and Mingo arrive at Toredano’s dilapidated house. After locking Toredano in the cupboard, Buddy waits inside while Barilli and Mingo hide outside. Soon, Moon and Bo arrive, but Bo spots Barilli and the men shoot each other. Alerted, Moon races away with Buddy in pursuit as Mingo looks after the wounded Barilli. After a chase on foot, Buddy confronts and kills Moon. That afternoon, Buddy meets Vito and reveals he knows about his betrayal. Insisting that he never did anything to hurt Buddy directly, Vito refuses to accept responsibility for Ansel’s death, declaring he had to get money to support his wife and children. Disgusted, Buddy assures Vito he will not arrest him, but will make sure the mob bosses know Vito was behind the kidnappings. Horrified, Vito pleads for Buddy’s forgiveness, but the detective walks away.