In a time where criminal gangs practically ran Atlantic City and a handful of morally questionable men were able to prosper beyond their wildest dreams through gambling dens, quality spirits, and shady machinations, the player takes control of one such man as he strives to build an empire of his own in this melting pot of illegality.

Working his way up from nothing, he must establish himself in the criminal underworld of the Mafia by buying and setting up illegal businesses, attacking rivals, and making friends, all the while simultaneously fulfilling his quest to attain the quintessential American Dream.

Arriving in Atlantic City, Boss D'Angelo begins his rise through the ranks of the Mafia as he works his way up from dealing bootleg alcohol to establishing and managing his own network of bootleggers and gambling joints.

Sending money back to his brother in Sicily, he manages to hide his role as a top underling of Louie Castaneda, a caporegime under Danny Corsini, the boss of the most powerful Mafia family in Atlantic City.

As a member of the Corsini family, the Boss comes in conflict with enemies ranging from rival Irish and Jewish gangsters to the Ku Klux Klan, made up of native-born Americans who blame immigrants for the rise in crime.

Eventually, the Boss runs into a new problem when his brother immigrates to the United States and joins the FBI as a field agent in their New York office.

The Japanese Incentive During his time working under Louie Castaneda, Boss D'Angelo enters into a partnership with Yakuza boss Hikaro Eda and Karl Fritz, a wealthy German-American financier recruited by the ambitious Eda to set up Yakuza operations in America due to laws that prohibit Asians from directly owning American property.

When Eda and his men are then ambushed at a cherry blossom festival by members of the Ku Klux Klan, the Boss investigates and learns that it was Mikoto who betrayed him.

As the game progresses, the character can recruit companions, form a gang to protect his business interests, and conquer the territories of rival gangsters.

In turn-based confrontations, the player expands his influence by using his henchmen to drive other bosses out of business through violence and intimidation, until he can ultimately reign supreme as the unchallenged godfather of Atlantic City organized crime.

The in-game world represents, according to the publisher Kalypso Media,[6] an almost accurate and historical correct reproduction of Atlantic City during Prohibition times.

"[23] The Escapist also gave it two-and-a-half stars out of five, calling it "a deeply flawed blend of real time strategy and tactical turn-based battles that doesn't live up to the expectations of its premise.