The Melbourne gangland wars start the night the gangster Alphonse Gangitano, "The Black Prince of Lygon Street", and one of the legendary Carlton Crew gang, murders a low-life crim named Greg Workman at a St Kilda party.
Alphonse Gangitano might have got away with murder but police officer Steve Owen is determined he'll pay for starting a riot in a nightclub where many innocent people are hurt.
Topless waitress Tracey Seymour's turbulent love life with gangsters leaves her bruised and confused. She decides to get out of the underworld, turn over a new leaf and start afresh, But her past comes back to haunt her.
The Melbourne drug world is in uproar - the city is awash with cheap eckies and none of the established dealers knows who's undercutting them. Tempers flare, accusations fly and the blood flows.
With Jason in gaol for the nightclub riot, Mark Moran takes control of the family drug business and attempts to manoeuvre drug baron Tony Mokbel out of the game.
A charming thug, Andrew 'Benji' Veniaman, is hired to execute Mark Moran's killer. But when Benji is insulted by the Carton Crew, he forms a dangerous friendship with their rival, Carl Williams.
King Carl is confident he can get away with anything, so when a mate of Tony Mokbel's is murdered, he offers to avenge him by murdering the man Mokbel believes responsible, small time dealer Michael Marshall.
When Carlton Crew elder statesman Graham the Munster Kinniburgh is gunned down, his comrades Mick Gatto, Mario Condello and Lewis Moran know the upstart Carl Williams has to be put in his place before they too are targeted.
Determined to remove Mario Condello and Lewis Moran, the last two Carlton Crew members free and alive, Carl Williams engages yet another freelance hit man to do the job.