Two decades after their first "big deal" landed them in jail, the original gang of Italian thieves is back in action. Peppe "The Panther" (Vittorio Gassman) already has a new job lined up, but his pal Tiberio (Marcello Mastroianni) doesn't want anything to do with it. After a series of bad breaks and mishaps, they get a run of luck that just about puts them in the clear, setting them up to enjoy the life they've been dreaming about.