A turf war erupts between rival mobster gangs in lower Manhattan over control of gentlemen's club on Second Avenue. Dr. John Cesari gets dragged into the thick of things as his lifelong friend, Vito Gianelli, the legendary capo of Mulberry Street, fights off encroachment of his territory by Romanian mafiosi from the east side. The action spills over into St. Matt's where Cesari is employed when a new and dirty CEO is commissioned to revitalize the hospital's economic fortunes. In bed with the bad guys, the new CEO makes life a living hell for the employees of St. Matt's but especially for Cesari. The puppet master behind it all is a dangerous, enigmatic character from eastern Europe by the name of Shlomo. At first glance, he seems a kindly, grandfatherly figure with cherubic features and twinkling eyes that belie his black, soulless heart.