Based on a true story, The Dirt Merchants is set in the early 80s on the streets of New York and New Jersey's working class and lower middle class neighborhoods of Queens, The Bronx and Jersey City, and the upper middle class suburb of Teaneck. The characters are a group of teenagers and young adults - some of them struggling to find their way. The main protagonist, Spencer Corales, is a troubled suburban teenager, and under the influence of friends his choices take him to the verge of delinquency. Then he and a friend land summer jobs in the fascinating world of success, achievement, goal setting and intense motivation that offers fantastic financial success faster than seemed possible. Their growth and business acumen is illustrated by how they build and run an electrifying, although primitive, enterprise. His life is totally transformed by this group of high powered sales guys with their own lingo, customs, culture and style - particularly young "hot-shot," 23 year old Jim Braun and veteran spellbinder Corrado Banda.