In 1920, Atlantic City's salty air was alive with the threat of Prohibition and the promise of women's suffrage, and the local crime boss had an undertow to match the ocean's. The fancy beachfront hotels drew wealthy patrons and a violent underworld, close to New York but far enough to be independent. In that era, when premature babies were displayed on the boardwalk next to the salt water taffy shops, when white patrons rode in pushcarts manned by Negro operators, one charismatic Atlantic City boss rose to prominence: Enoch 'Nucky' Johnson, a racketeer and politician (full time at both), lived extravagantly, bestowed gifts generously, missed his late wife but kept numerous women in high style, hobnobbed with the big-city crime bosses and generally felt entitled to ownership of the Atlantic Ocean. A big-hearted louse, he's fictionalized as Nucky Thompson and played by Steve Buscemi in HBO's absorbing gangster period piece, 'Boardwalk Empire,' premiering Sunday on HBO. The subsequent hour-long episodes will air over 12 consecutive Sundays. At the very least, it will win awards for its boardwalk set design. Which is more mind-blowing, that the odd-looking Buscemi is cast as a leading man in a grand period piece, or that Martin Scorsese is making his television directing-producing debut? While Buscemi may be an unlikely lead (he of the bad teeth, thinning hair and perpetually mournful look), it should come as no surprise that TV, especially premium cable TV, offers great directors like Scorsese the freedom to tell engrossing stories through a longer-form narrative and deep character development in a way that big-screen features can't. Buscemi, a character actor who once played Tony Soprano's cousin, was stunned when offered the central role here, which includes romantic entanglements (that is to say, sex scenes). Turns out he is both captivating and creepy as the tough guy who wants to be loved. 'Boardwalk Empire' is HBO's bid to return to great character drama. And it is rich -- and a stunning period piece. Judging by the first half-dozen episodes, it's on a path to greatness. How many Jersey mob bosses with killer instincts softened by comic, insecure undersides do we need? Obviously, comparisons to 'The Sopranos' are inevitable. Depending how you feel about flapper clothes and the Roaring Twenties, the appeal of 'Boardwalk Empire' is in the period details. Just as 'Mad Men' capitalizes on the excesses of the 1960s and uses period elements to nostalgic effect, 'Boardwalk Empire' engenders a sort of vintage American pride and shame. Our colorful history reminds us we've always engaged in culture wars. 'Boardwalk Empire' is an expensive ode to the period, and looks it. A number of historical characters bump into the fictional ones. Al Capone, Arnold Rothstein, Lucky Luciano -- they're all here, with the music, clothing, cars, architecture and argot of the day. Jazz. Speakeasies, brothels, laudanum and temperance leagues. The moment was ripe for change. Scottish actress Kelly Macdonald is admirable as Margaret, an abused wife and mother seeking a way forward in the new country. Michael Pitt ('Dawson's Creek' and indie films) is poised for stardom as Jimmy Darmody, a war veteran and aspiring gang member. Stephen Graham ('Public Enemies') is a compelling Capone, just starting his criminal career. But Buscemi is the eye magnet, carnation in lapel, oil in hair. Writer Terence Winter ('The Sopranos') sees parallels to modern criminals: 'I think there's a certain type of person drawn to the gangster world, and, you know, they're generally young men who were predisposed to violence and risk-taking who like to make a lot of money quickly and wear flashy clothes. And it's the same thing, I think, up till the present day.' The tension between the need to tighten the moral grip and the desire to act out in ever more grandiose, licentious ways gives the drama its pulse and its relevance. (Joanne Ostrow, TV critic for The Denver Post, can be contacted at jostrowdenverpost.com.) 