Plot Synopsis

Narrated by Paul Giamatti, EMPIRES OF NEW YORK is a six-episode documentary series that chronicles the meteoric rise of five icons during the grit, greed, and glory of 1980s New York: "arbitrage king" of Wall Street Ivan Boesky; queen of New York real estate Leona Helmsley; audacious U.S. Attorney Rudy Giuliani; powerful organized crime boss John Gotti; and media-savvy business tycoon and future President of the United States Donald Trump. They 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 reveals a singular trait shared by all five people: 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. EMPIRES OF NEW YORK premeired with back-to-back episodes on Sunday, November 29, 2020 from 8-10pm ET on CNBC. A new episode debuts each Sunday at 8pm on CNBC, through Sunday, December 27.