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 for the sheer hell of it. The charming gangster Alphonse gets away with the murder by convincing two witnesses not to testify but the killing sets the tone for the mayhem that will follow, and sets Alphonse himself on a path to self-destruction.

Convinced that Jason Moran was also involved in the nightclub assault, Steve Owens tricks Jason's driver Carl Williams into revealing that he did indeed ferry Jason to and from the scene. Carl Williams takes the first steps towards building his own empire. The police are determined to crack the "Carlton Crew" crime gang.