A young Italian immigrant, from Detroit who with his fists, friends, and wits, wanted to live the good life. He yearned to "be somebody" and that meant getting the money to have and do the things to get respect, wine, women, and power. Lucky was going to prove his worth and be respected, one way or another. It started with muscle, continued with guts, and persevered with brains. It brought him and the men he called friends, into a Detroit union and into power, where elections, strikes, work disputes and schemes were all necessary to get the job done. Wherever there is power and money, you can find booze, drugs, criminal activity, violence, organized crime and ultimately treachery, because Every Time He Gained Something, He Lost Something Else