John Gotti murders his way to the top of New York's most powerful Mafia family; indictments come and go, but nothing sticks; rich, powerful and in love with himself, Gotti becomes enthralled with the glare of the media lights.

Sammy "the Bull" Gravano, a vicious hit man with 19 murders to his name, runs a string of lucrative businesses and becomes the loyal and extremely dangerous underboss of New York's biggest crime family.

Carmine "the Snake" Persico, a master of deceit, commits one of the biggest murders in Mafia history; while behind bars he rules a crime family, conducts three wars and orders murders.

The Mob welcomes Anthony "Gaspipe" Casso, a brutal thug with a love of violence, with open arms; he makes millions for them, and for himself, but he grows severely paranoid.

For 30 years, Vincent Gigante pretends to be insane to evade justice, but behind the crazy act lurks the vicious, scheming, murdering boss of one of New York's five crime families.

Henry Hill, a wannabe mobster, sets up the biggest heist in American history to that point, but can't fully cash in because he isn't Italian; he never sees the icy treachery behind the facade and must become a rat to survive.