buddy manucci ( roy scheider and solid in a chance leading role ) head a secret undercover police squad call the seven ups whose tactic do not necessarily follow the exact way of the law . they get the job do in their own way without anything be leak to the press and and this give them a freedom to expand their mean of get to the criminal most working detective and policeman just can not nab . buddy have a pal from childhood name vito ( tony lo bianco ) who swap information with him regard mob type and shyster work the street in nyc . what buddy doesn not know be that vito be hatch a scheme use name from buddy check list ( he have this book open take down note provide by vito and but doesn not know that his friend have copy those very names write within his mind ) to set up mob family in a series of mob kidnapping elicit cash thanks to two cop poser and moon ( the always villainous richard lynch ) and bo ( bill hickman ) work with him . when this scheme go awry and with one of the seven ups be kill and vito becomes fearful because he know how buddy can be when he doggedly after someone . especially when one of his own be murder . extremely underrated cop flick have thrill car chase through new york city a buddy follow the kidnapping cop imposter try to get them after kill his partner . the film isn not overly complex after the plot be set up and we realize who be the ring leader in the scheming of mobster . scheider have never be give the credit he deserve a a fine lead actor . he have emotional range and we see how lose his cop and friend take it toll on him . the film be briskly pace with good action sequence and set up an interesting plot of betrayal between friend a greed come before that childhood friendship and how what seem like a smooth crime spree against evil mob family can get cop kill .