The story follows the history of Charles "Lucky Luciano" who rose to power in the Mafia in the U.S. during the 1920s and made it into a successful venture based on the corporate model. The founder of "the commission", his delivery of Nazi U-Boats from the port of NY for US Naval Intelligence, his imprisonment, and the eventual deal that set him free whereby he would use his Mafia influence in Italy against the Axis Powers (Mussilini), is told through the eyes of his friend and bodyguard, a one time gold medal winning boxer from Luciano's home town in Italy.