The movie is based on the autobiography of Horst Fantazzini. Son of an anarchist, he was known in Northern Italy as "the gentleman bandit" because he robbed banks with no violence, using only a toy gun. After a number of trials and escapes, in the summer of 1973 he is held in the Fossano jailhouse in Piedmont when he tries to escape once again. This time things turn for worse and he has to use a real gun and take two policemen as hostages.