Empires of New York

At the dawn of the '80s, America finds itself in deep decline, and New York seems to symbolize everything that's gone wrong. It's crime-ridden, strapped for cash, dark and dirty.

It's 1983, and the Big Apple is back. Wall Street is booming, yuppies are crowding the clubs, and five up-and-coming icons – Donald Trump, Ivan Boesky, Leona Helmsley, John Gotti, and Rudy Giuliani – are enjoying their first big taste of success.

By the mid '80s, five larger-than-life New Yorkers - Donald Trump, Ivan Boesky, Leona Helmsley, John Gotti, and Rudy Giuliani - are starting to change the way we think about power and success.

It's 1986, and New Yorkers are fawning over five seemingly unstoppable icons: Donald Trump, Ivan Boesky, Leona Helmsley, John Gotti, and Rudy Giuliani.

When something seems too good to be true, it usually is. Black Monday hits, the market crashes, and the great bull market of the '80s goes down with it.

The titans who helped remake New York City are now being devoured by their own creation. At the dawn of the '90s, they're either sitting in jail, awaiting sentencing, or licking their wounds after humiliating defeats.