When fast-talking, petty thief and hustler Alvin Sanders gets arrested for stealing prawns, the worst of his problems would seem to be going to jail. Unfortunately, he ends up sharing a cell with John Delano Jaster, who, while stealing $42 million in gold from the
Federal Reserve Bank of New York, double-crossed his partner, Bristol, after Bristol murdered two bound and gagged guards during the gold heist. Bristol, who is the mastermind of the heist, is shown to be a dangerous man, with a knack for computers, a long memory, and who will go to any lengths to find where Jaster hid the gold, including killing others. While being interrogated by hardball Treasury Agent Edgar Clenteen, the double-crosser dies from heart failure. All the feds have are an incomprehensible message that Jaster gave to Alvin to deliver to his wife, who is dead unbeknownst to him, having been killed by Bristol ("Tell her she should go to the Bronx Zoo. Tell her '
There's no place like home'."), so they decide to release him and use him as bait to catch Bristol by secretly implanting a combination tracking device and electronic bug into Alvin's jaw. From that moment on, a surveillance team can follow Alvin's every move and hear his every word. Unfortunately, Alvin has a talent for getting into trouble, especially with his criminal younger brother Stevie – which means that the feds have to become his guardian angels so that he can serve his purpose. Sure enough, Bristol is hot on Alvin's trail, using his computer expertise to discover that Alvin was jailed alongside Jaster and managing to gain more information from him through a phony telephone call. Alvin soon becomes suspicious of the many situations that have occurred since he has been released from prison, especially when he encounters Bristol face to face, yet eventually Bristol kidnaps Alvin while evading the authorities, causing an explosion from a bomb attached to a bound and gagged agent Wooly. After interrogating Alvin, Bristol forces Alvin to lead him to the gold supposedly hidden at the horse track in Manhattan, while holding his girlfriend Lisa and baby hostage. Alvin manages to eventually escape and fight off Bristol and free Lisa before a bomb set in the van they're in explodes. Alvin manages to hot wire the van, drive it and jump out just in time before the bomb explodes. Bristol catches up to Alvin and points a gun at him, yet Clenteen shoots him multiple times, saving Alvin. A grateful Alvin punches Clenteen due to earlier treatment while in jail, yet Clenteen, not upset by it, admits he had it coming. While discussing with Lisa concerning their son Gregory at her bookstore, Alvin meets a customer asking for the book
The Bronx Zoo, which leads him to understand Jaster's message: the gold is buried under "home" plate at
Yankee Stadium. He then calls Clenteen to discuss a reward for the recovery of the stolen gold, which after some confusion turns out to be five percent of its value – $2 million. ==Cast==