The dream holidays turn into a nightmare for Spirou and Fantasio. An old seaplane skims the waves over the Pacific. Onboard are Vito Cortizone, former Don of the New York Mafia forced into early retirement by Spirou and Fantasio; Von Schnabbel, unscrupulous pilot; and a mysterious cargo supposed to turn Cortizone's fortunes around. But the mafioso is cursed with terrible luck, and the plane ends up at the bottom of an isolated island's lagoon. When two months later a sailing boat arrives, an unrecognisable Vito sees none other than our two adventurer-reporters come ashore