Set amid the grit, greed, and glory of 1980s New York, Empires of New York chronicles the meteoric rise of five icons – Ivan Boesky, Donald Trump, Leona Helmsley, Rudy Giuliani and John Gotti – who not only reshaped the city but contributed mightily to the world we live in today. Drawing on exclusive interviews, never-before-told stories, and secret tapes, the series follows titans of the era who shared a singular trait: the insatiable need to win at all costs. Seizing opportunity in an era jolted by one cultural upheaval after another – MTV and 24-hour news, hip hop, drugs, the onset of AIDS – they broke rules, flaunted their wealth, and delighted in the destruction of their enemies. And oddly, at times America came to love them for it.