However, when he reaches the top, those city officials who really control the gang find him expendable, mainly because of his murderous tactics and the public outcry that follows. Rico is also plagued by the dogged policeman Sergeant Flaherty, who vowed to put Rico away early in his career. In a shootout, most of Rico's gang is killed by police, while the rest are murdered by Rico. He escapes police and goes into hiding. When his money runs out, he has nowhere to turn and is reduced to living as a tramp, returning once again to the gutter.
Police try in vain to capture Rico.
However, the police know that Rico's only real weakness is his huge ego, which they use to trap him. They plant an item in a newspaper suggesting that Rico is a coward. Rico reads the article and, infuriated, telephones the police. The police wait trace Rico's call. They locate and surround Rico but, predictably, he refuses to turn himself in.