Bodega Dreams tells the story of Chino, a young man in Spanish Harlem who crosses paths with the legendary Willie Bodega, who is equal parts gangster, activist and dreamer. As Chino is drawn further into Bodega’s world, he becomes increasingly connected with el barrio’s shady underbelly and begins to contemplate the future of the neighborhood.

Book I introduces us to Chino (Julio), Sapo (Enrique) and Blanca (Nancy) as junior high students. Chino understands that to have status on the streets, he needs both a nickname and a pana, or good friend. He earns his nickname by being a fearless fighter and finds a lifelong friend in the intrepid Sapo, who is known to bite his opponents. He also finds the love of his life in Blanca, who earns her nickname by being both beautiful and pious. Chino is able to attend a magnet high school for the arts outside el barrio and begins to consider other options for his future, while Sapo drops out of school and begins a career as a hustler, eventually working his way up to a position with Willie Bodega. After high school, Chino and Blanca marry and begin college. With Blanca pregnant, Chino worries about their future.

Sapo introduces Chino to Willie Bodega, and the small but stable life Chino has with Blanca begins to disintegrate. Bodega says he is interested in working with Chino, but Chino initially dismisses Bodega as just another slumlord taking advantage of his own people. Later, Chino learns that Bodega’s interest has to do with his love for Veronica (now called Vera), Blanca’s aunt. Vera left Bodega when he was involved with the Young Lords, a group of political activists who courted change through violent means. Vera, who married a rich Cuban in Miami, has been long estranged from her family and Spanish Harlem.

Chino realizes that if he can bring Bodega and Vera together, he’ll be in a position to ask for a bigger apartment. He learns that Vera will soon be visiting New York City, and in return, Bodega offers a two-bedroom apartment for half the rent. As Vera’s visit approaches, Chino is increasingly drawn into Bodega’s world. He meets Bodega’s business partner, Edwin Nazario, who has legal expertise and lends Bodega’s business, the Harry Goldstein Real Estate Agency, its sense of legitimacy. Although the illegal aspects of Bodega’s enterprise concern Chino, he is intrigued by the promise of a better future for Spanish Harlem. When he overhears a conversation between Bodega and Nazario regarding someone named Alberto Salazar, he thinks nothing of it—until Salazar ends up dead with a bite mark on his neck.

In Book II, Willie Bodega gets his second shot at a relationship with Vera. Chino agrees to make the introductions but wants to keep his entire involvement with Bodega a secret from Blanca. Fortunately, she is distracted by a situation at her church involving a young illegal woman seeking a husband. Bodega and Vera act like teenagers, appearing together with their clothes disheveled and drinking celebratory champagne in Chino’s apartment. They seem interested in recapturing the past while conveniently ignoring the issue of Vera’s marriage.

Chino is eager to cut ties with Bodega, whom he suspects murdered Salazar. Yet, there always seems to be one more favor he owes, and he can’t manage to walk away. For example, Chino’s new apartment building is set on fire, and once again, Chino needs to find housing. It is believed that the building fire was set by Aaron Fischman, a rival of Bodega and an associate of Salazar.

Nazario pays him several visits, even taking Chino to visit other criminal associates. At one point, Chino realizes he is in too deep; he simply knows too much. When the police bring Chino in for questioning, Blanca has had enough of his lies and secrecy and moves in with her mother.

Chino agrees to do one final favor: to be present at the dinner where Vera will tell her husband she is leaving him for Bodega. In return, Bodega and Vera will talk to Blanca on his behalf. But the dinner doesn’t go as planned—when Vera’s husband, John Vidal, refuses to let Vera go easily, Vera shoots him with Bodega’s gun. Bodega promises to take responsibility for the murder, and the next day he is killed by an associate of Aaron Fischman while walking to the police station to turn himself in for Vidal’s murder.

Only after Bodega’s death does Chino learn that the entire situation was a set-up, a way for Vera to leave her marriage and reconnect with her true love, Nazario. Chino realizes that it was Nazario who arranged for Vera to come to New York and who set the apartment building on fire and blamed it on Fischman. It was also planned that Vera ask Bodega to teach her to shoot a gun. Fearing that he will eventually be a target of Nazario’s himself, Chino turns in everyone but Sapo, his pana, to the police.

Book III contains a short eulogy to Bodega. In it, Chino begins to live out some of Bodega’s dreams for a better Spanish Harlem by offering the vacant bedroom in his apartment to two recently arrived Puerto Rican immigrants who need a place to stay. Bodega appears to Chino in a dream, telling him that it is time for Spanish Harlem to reinvent itself. When Chino looks out the window at the end of the book, he sees the residents of el barrio honoring Bodega and realizes that the neighborhood is ripe for a change.