My Father's Gun is the story of three generations of New York City policemen as told by one of their own. Brian McDonald's father, grandfather, and older brother were all New York City cops. As a young boy, McDonald used to play in the holding cell of the infamous 41st precinct (popularly known as "Fort Apache") while visiting his precinct captain father. He grew up hearing about his mother's father, a cop from the 1880s through the 1920s who refused to take bribes, stood up to Tammany Hall, and paid the price. As a troubled teenager, McDonald watched his idolized older brother, Frankie, destroy a brilliant career through violence and bigotry, only to resurrect it with diligence and repentance.