Living on City Island, in the Bronx, Vince Rizzo (Andy García), a prison guard, is the father of a dysfunctional family whose members all have secrets. Vince discovers that his secret illegitimate son is now the 24-year-old prison inmate Tony Nardella (Steven Strait) who is being held in the same prison where he works.Clam diggers are natives of city island. Muscle suckers are immigrants to the island, from outside.Without revealing this truth to his family (or Tony), Vince consequently gets Tony out of prison and employs him as hired help (In order to build a bathroom in the outhouse within 30 days) at his own home in order to become closer with his unknowing son. Vince has also been secretly taking acting lessons, taught by Michael Malakov (Alan Arkin), and begins to form a platonic bond with Molly (Emily Mortimer), an aspiring actress.Vince confides in Molly that he told his wife that he has a poker game. He also tells her about Tony.Vince's family is totally dysfunctional. His son Vince Jr, is not interested in grades as he feels he will only end up in a meaningless job like his dad. Vince says that better than being someone's secretary, which is what his wife Joyce is. Joyce says she would have got her college degree had she not gotten pregnant with their daughter Vivian.Vince tells Joyce that he knew Tony's mother from before, and she suspects him of having slept with her. Meanwhile, Vince Jr, asks Vivian on dinner table, if her breasts are getting bigger.Vince continues to seek solace in Molly's company. Molly shows Vince ads of movies that are trying to get off the ground and even encourages him to go on audition the coming week. Vince shows up for the audition and finds a line that goes around several blocks. He learns that its a Martin Scorsese film and De Niro is starring in it.Meanwhile, Vince's 20-year-old daughter Vivian (Dominik García-Lorido) (played by the real-life daughter of her on-screen father) has not told her family that she has been suspended from college (for smoking pot in her college room), lost her scholarship, gotten breast implants, and become a stripper to try to pay for her next semester;their youngest teenage child, Vinnie (Ezra Miller), has a secret sexual fetish for feeding large women, and fantasizes about their fat next-door neighbor; He goes to porn sites dedicated to large women and finds the next door neighbor there. He uses Joyce's credit card to enter the site.and Vince's wife, Joyce (Julianna Margulies), thinking she has lost all marital intimacy, sexually pursues Tony without realizing that he is her stepson.Vince Jr discovers Tony's mugshot and now knows that he is a convicted felon and shares the same with Vivian.Vince successfully auditions for a part in a Martin Scorsese film (he sucks at first, but then the casting director goads him into getting inside the skin of the character and Vince delivers a perfect scene. He gets a call back), while his wife and Tony seek each other's sexual attention. Joyce cannot think about cheating on Vince and calls him at work. But she learns that he called in sick. She calls his mobile, and Vince was at audition, and he lies that he is at work. Joyce thinks Vince is cheating on her. Joyce drives Tony to a secluded spot under the pretext of buying supplies and wants to have sex with him. Tony refuses to have sex with her and reveals that Vince is not cheating on her.Vince, Jr. befriends the neighbor, who helps to bring him closer to an overweight girl whom he has been attracted to at school.Tensions rise as the family's many dysfunctions come to a head. Tony, finally deciding to escape the insanity of the Rizzo household, steals their car (On the way out he sees Vince sitting with Molly and believes that Vince was perhaps indeed cheating on Joyce) but finds Vivian working at the strip club. Meanwhile Joyce finds Molly's business card inside Vince's book. Tony decides to bring Vivian back home in the family car.Vince brings Molly home to finally admit the truth to Joyce that he is pursuing an acting career. But Joyce thinks that Vince brought Molly home to tell Joyce that he has a mistress. Joyce tells Vince that she touched Tony that day and felt like she hasn't felt in years.Just before the group is nearly torn apart in a violent outburst, Vince reveals the truth about everything (Molly is Vince's manager, Vince went on an audition that day, Tony stole the car and Vivian is a stripper), with Tony discovering in amazement that the dysfunctional family he sought to escape is actually his own. Vivian and the others admit their faults and Vince acknowledges the family's problems with the desire to work them out.The finally relieved group reunites in forgiveness toward one another, welcoming the overwhelmed Tony as a new member of their bizarre but loving family. Vince lands the film role. Molly leaves town and returns to her own family.