Atlantic City at the dawn of Prohibition is a place where the rules don't apply. And the man who runs things -- legally and otherwise -- is the town's treasurer, Enoch "Nucky" Thompson, who is equal parts politician and gangster.
It's 1931 and in stark contrast with the Roaring '20s, the country is now in the throes of the Great Depression. With the end of Prohibition in sight, Nucky looks to legitimize himself by forging alliances with liquor producers.