At the start of the 60s Joey Oldman, a Russian Jew, acquires crafty Arnold Goodman as his solicitor, and buys shares in the civil engineering firm owned by the corrupt Minister of Transport, Ernest Marples.
Prospering with the help of venal bankers, and growing more devious, he and his wife Cath Macmillan's Tory Party. They strive without success to keep their son Brian free of the influence of Jack Braden (Cath’s nephew) as he takes their 'firm' from running illicit clubs, where they entertain politicians and judges, to armed robbery. All the while Jack and Brian struggle to keep free of the police, and further entanglements with both the law, the Kray twins and the Richardsons.
This is aided by various corrupt policemen, until one very corrupt policeman, Tony Wednesday, and one achingly straight policeman, John Redvers, Brian's cousin, arrive on the scene.
