Here we meet the three major players of the series: Lt. Mike Torrello, head of Chicago's Major Crime Unit(MCU); Ray Luca, a young hood about to make his mark on the underworld; and David Abrams, an idealistic public defender trying to bury his Mob-connected roots. As the story unfolds Torrello is working with to bring down members of Chicago's underworld while Luca is taken under the wing of Manny Weisbord; one of Chicago's most powerful crime figures. As events proceed Torrello and Luca each become aware of the other's existence. Torello realizes that there is a new player that he must bring down.

Here we meet the three major players of the series: Lt. Mike Torrello, head of Chicago's Major Crime Unit(MCU); Ray Luca, a young hood about to make his mark on the underworld; and David Abrams, an idealistic public defender trying to bury his Mob-connected roots. As the story unfolds Torrello is working with Abrams to bring down members of Chicago's underworld while Luca is taken under the wing of Manny Weisbord; one of Chicago's most powerful crime figures. As events proceed Torrello and Luca each become aware of the other's existence. Torello realizes that there is a new player that he must bring down.

With Torello's MCU hunting a psychopath, Luca plots jewel heists and the takeover of a sports-gambling operation.

Torello gains a major advantage when one of Luca's burglars is connected to a robbery-homicide of a coin collector's wife. Torello finds out Julie is pregnant.

Mobsters support Luca's nationwide gambling scheme. A publicity-seeking sheriff hampers Torello's arrest of one of Luca's men.

A book intercepted by Torello jeopardizes Luca's nationwide gambling operation. The Torellos meet with tragedy.

Attorney Abrams falls for a reporter helping him defend a tenant accused of assaulting a slum landlord.

Conflict ruins the Torello's weekend trip. Luca situates in Las Vegas. Bigots target Abrams's relationship with Susan.

Torello confronts his new friend, now laundering money for the Mob. Federal investigators indict Luca and Bartoli.

Devastated by Kehoe's death, Torello stonewalls Breitel's federal investigation. Abrams joins the MCU on the street.

Divorced Torello finds comfort with Inger. The Crime Unit nabs Luca's jewelry-heist team. Torello's best friend supplies the Mob with capital.

Indelli and Krychek must deal with a tense hostage situation. Torello travels to Indiana to make his move on Frank Holman.

Holman ideintifies Torello as a dirty cop to Breitel. After an attempt on his life, Luca takes refuge in Florida.

Torello is subpoenaed to testify for Luca. An enraged Abrams jumps to Torello's defense. Luca orders Torello and Abrams killed.

Breitel brutally cross-examines Torello. Acquitted Luca moves to Las Vegas. Torello gets a new assignment.

Torello and Krychek join the Federal Task Force planning to raid Luca's new gambling business in Las Vegas.

To take over Las Vegas casinos, Luca murders the head of a resort-workers union to put his own man in the position.

Torello falls in love with a Justice Attorney's former wife, only to find out that the attorney has been molesting his adopted daughter. Molestation charges jeopardizes the Unit's investigation of Luca.

Luca's greedy ploy to take over another casino puts his entire gambling empire in jeopardy.

Luca's jubilation over his growing business turns to fear that his associates are setting him up. Luca's insatiable lust for violence proves his undoing when he rapes Pauli's girlfriend. Pauli testifies for the prosecution in Luca's trial.

After his murder mistrial, Luca clashes with a crime kingpin over plans to split up control of the sinking Luca gambling empire. Pauli changes his mind and rescues Luca from Torello as they hide in a house in the desert, a target site for nuclear testing.

An overzealous senator outrages crime bosses by subpoenaing them to appear before an organized crime commission. An actress with a shady past falls for Torello.

Torello confronts his feelings for Julie when she asks him to rescue her kidnapped husband, who is a doctor forced to tend to one of his injured kidnappers.

The Senterros, a family of Mexican cattle ranchers, controls the marijuana trade, so Torello's unit sets up a sting operation, but detective Joey Indelli leaves to try to save a callgirl from her sadistic pimp.

Torello follows a crazed killer into Mexico, unaware his quarry will lead him to an arms-for-drugs operation run by an alive-and-well Luca.

Luca returns to Vegas with immunity to work for the US Government, causing revenge-minded Abrams to resign in frustration and Torello unable to get near Luca.

A Chicago thug, preparing for the heist of a Las Vegas casino, shoots Krychek on the eve of Torello's birthday.

An investigator searching for a man's girlfriend, who happens to be Weisbord's granddaughter, is murdered before he gives information to Torello. Luca offers a drug-addicted Abrams a position on his staff.

Luca falls for an actress in a movie he is financing and discovers she is more than even he can handle.

A defecting Soviet pilot becomes custody of the Strike Force, which learns of plans to use him in a spy swap.

The Justice Department tries to deal with troubles at a new nightclub - including bombings, extortion, and racial threats - owned by a beautiful black woman.

Torello cannot identify the source of a money-laundering operation. Clemmons reveals his suspicions about Iris's new casino partner.

A Chinese agent dupes Torello into looking for her father while she smuggles plutonium out of the country.

In return for the man's testimony, Torello offers government protection to a Chicago mobster with a contract on his life.

After Manny is stricken by a heart attack, Luca demands that he be the first heart-transplant recipient. Max convinces Steve to put a hit on Luca.

In a dream Paulie recounts his and Luca's survival of the atomic bomb. After nearly perishing in the blast, Luca and Paulie are taken into federal custody. Delirious from his gun shot wounds and the blast Luca becomes totally on Paulie for their escape. Receiving aid from a federal agent in Manny's employ Paulie rises above his usual persona as he attempts to extricate himself and Luca from their current situation.

While escorting a prisoner and his girlfriend, Torello is trapped in the desert and stalked by corrupt lawmen who want the prisoner.

The Justice Department must deal with crooked cops and feuding brothel owners when Pauli's prostitute-girlfriend is murdered.

Torello's writer-friend plans to take down Luca by exposing him in an article.

Luca is finally brought to court on racketerring charges but the trial is postponed when a military emergency happens in Vietnam.

Torello and his men chase Luca to Mexico where they will get no help from the US Government.

Torello and his men save Danny from certain death while Luca is told by a top military commander that he is nothing in Mexico.

Torello and his men catch up to Luca in Mexico and force him to escape but they all get trapped inside a pilotless airborne plane.