Barksdale Organization
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The Barksdale Organization is a fictional drug-dealing gang on the television series ''
The Wire ''The Wire'' is an American Crime fiction, crime Drama (film and television), drama television series created and primarily written by the American author and former police reporter David Simon for the cable network HBO. The series premiered o ...
''. Many of the characters featured in season one of ''The Wire'' belong to this organization. Season 1 largely deals with the
Baltimore Police Department The Baltimore Police Department (BPD) is the municipal police department of the city of Baltimore, Maryland. Dating back to 1784, the BPD, consisting of 2,935 employees in 2020, is organized into nine districts covering of land and of waterw ...
setting up a Major Crimes Unit to investigate the Barksdale Organization, led by
Avon Barksdale Avon Randolph Barksdale is a fictional character in the American television series ''The Wire'', played by Wood Harris. Barksdale is one of the most powerful drug dealers in Baltimore, Maryland, and runs the Barksdale Organization. Stringer Bell ...
who is portrayed as the most powerful drug kingpin in
Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
. The gang's criminal activities include
heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a morphinan opioid substance synthesized from the Opium, dried latex of the Papaver somniferum, opium poppy; it is mainly used as a recreational drug for its eupho ...
and
cocaine Cocaine is a tropane alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant, derived primarily from the leaves of two South American coca plants, ''Erythroxylum coca'' and ''Erythroxylum novogranatense, E. novogranatense'', which are cultivated a ...
dealing, homicides (including killing witnesses in criminal cases against the gang), and money laundering. Avon Barksdale's power in west Baltimore was established some time before the events of season 1. The Barksdale Organization started a
turf war A turf war is a fight over territory or resources, or may refer to: Music * ''Turf Wars'', a 2007 album by the Canadian band Daggermouth * "Turf War", a song on the 2001 album '' Filmtracks 2000'' by American composer Bill Television * '' Turf ...
for the city's largest
public housing project Public housing, also known as social housing, refers to subsidized or affordable housing provided in buildings that are usually owned and managed by local government, central government, nonprofit organizations or a combination thereof ...
. When they won the war and got the prized Franklin Terrace Towers, they had the best drug territory in the city and dominated the illicit heroin trade in west Baltimore. The show starts sometime after these events. The Baltimore Police Department as a whole is portrayed as underfunded and apathetic. While the
Major Crime Unit Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in music ...
is able to arrest a number of people in the Barksdale Organization, including Avon, they lack the resources to build a strong enough case to permanently cripple the organization. All those arrested plead out and get light sentences (with the exception of Wee-Bey and
D'Angelo Michael Eugene Archer (born February 11, 1974), better known by his stage name D'Angelo (), is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He first garnered attention after co-producing the single "U Will Know" ...
). Avon's best friend and second-in-command
Stringer Bell Russell "Stringer" Bell is a fictional character in ''The Wire'', played by Idris Elba. In the criminal world of early 2000s Baltimore, Bell serves as drug kingpin Avon Barksdale's second-in-command and assumes direct control of the Barksdale O ...
runs the organization until Avon is released from prison in season 3. Ultimately, a second prolonged investigation by the Major Crimes Unit, the organization's bloody wars against both stickup man
Omar Little Omar Devone Little is a fictional character on the HBO Crime fiction, crime drama TV series, series ''The Wire'', portrayed by Michael K. Williams. He is a notorious Baltimore Stickup, stick-up man who frequently robs street-level Drug trafficking ...
, as well as the emerging
Stanfield Organization On the fictional television drama ''The Wire'', the Stanfield Organization is a criminal organization led by Marlo Stanfield. The Organization is introduced in Season Three of ''The Wire'' as a growing and significantly violent drug syndicate. Ma ...
, and internal dissent within the group's upper leadership led to the Barksdale Organization's collapse in the fall of 2004. With most of the Barksdale Organization in prison or dead, the Stanfield Organization becomes the dominant drug trafficking group in West Baltimore.


Structure

Avon ran the organization as a hierarchy with himself at the top and Stringer directly below him. Stringer oversees the entire drug operation and advises Avon on all matters. They were both isolated from the drugs, handling only money. Avon had a number of enforcers (soldiers) who served him through protection,
contract killing Contract killing (also known as murder-for-hire) is a form of murder or assassination in which one party hires another party to kill a targeted person or people. It involves an illegal agreement which includes some form of compensation, moneta ...
s, and intimidation work, including childhood friend
Wee-Bey Brice Roland "Wee-Bey" Brice is a fictional character in the HBO drama ''The Wire'' played by Hassan Johnson. Wee-Bey is a trusted soldier and third-in-command of the Barksdale Organization. Character storyline Wee-Bey dropped out of school in sixth g ...
. Avon himself kept an extremely low profile, eschewing overt displays of wealth so as not to attract attention, avoiding being photographed, not having a driver's license, and owning nothing in his own name. The Barksdales retained attorney Maurice Levy, who advised them on how to counter police investigations and represented members of the Barksdale organization at hearings and trials. At the beginning of the series, Avon is the top player in the West Baltimore drug trade. His territory includes the prized Franklin Terrace Towers, a massive public housing project consisting of six high rise apartment buildings. These towers provided the best territory in the city to sell drugs. The Barksdales have a crew at each tower that sells heroin and cocaine 24 hours a day. The Barksdales also control other smaller territories, including a nearby low-rise housing project referred to as "the Pit". Each crew is headed by a
lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...
who is responsible for trade in a certain area, with some receiving a percentage of the revenue of the narcotics they sell. The lieutenants contact their superiors to refill inventory and to kick up the proceeds from the drug sales. Lieutenants did none of the legwork in the drug transaction. They had to monitor their crew and make sure everything ran smoothly, only periodically collecting the proceeds from the drug sales and making sure everything adds up at the end of the day. Beneath the lieutenants there are several drug dealers usually referred to as "hoppers." Typically there is a second-in-command who would handle the money, "touts" were responsible for attracting customers; "runners" would hand over drugs to the customer; "look-outs" were responsible for watching for police or stick-up gangs approaching, while others would watch over the main drug stash. Each dealer would receive a weekly cash payment for their work from the lieutenant above them based on hours worked. Every member of the organization was subject to strict rules designed to thwart police investigations. The dealers were not allowed to carry cell phones (initially) or use drugs. They were all aware of how to deal with police interrogation and knew that the organization would protect them if they did not say anything to the police. Lieutenants and enforcers carried
pager A pager, also known as a beeper or bleeper, is a Wireless communication, wireless telecommunications device that receives and displays Alphanumericals, alphanumeric or voice messages. One-way pagers can only receive messages, while response p ...
s so that they could be contacted (they later used disposable cell phones). They were subject to the same rules as the dealers, but also knew not to talk business in cars, public places or with anyone outside of the organization. Such discussions were limited to property and territory owned by the Barksdale organization. A strict telephone usage policy was applied rigidly throughout the organization. The pager messages were encoded to prevent easy tracing of the telephones used, all of which were public telephones. When pages were returned with a phone call no names were supposed to be used, and if a name was used, the speaker was rebuked. A separate code was used for resupply signals, which involved turning the pager display upside down. When the police catch on to this method and tap the public phones, the Barksdales start using disposable cell phones that are constantly replaced to avoid being wiretapped. Avon received his narcotics supply through a connection to a Dominican organization in New York and had several other options for suppliers in surrounding cities. The main supply of narcotics was separated from the rest of the organization and held in a house in
Pimlico Pimlico () is a district in Central London, in the City of Westminster, built as a southern extension to neighbouring Belgravia. It is known for its garden squares and distinctive Regency architecture. Pimlico is demarcated to the north by Lon ...
where it could be
cut Cut or CUT may refer to: Common uses * The act of cutting, the separation of an object into two through acutely directed force ** A type of wound ** Cut (archaeology), a hole dug in the past ** Cut (clothing), the style or shape of a garment ** ...
and divided into smaller "stashes" for distribution among the Barksdale territory. Once inside the towers, these smaller packages were moved from room to room on a regular basis, to avoid the scrutiny of police and stick-up men. Avon's main office was one of his
front organization A front organization is any entity set up by and controlled by another organization, such as intelligence agencies, organized crime groups, terrorist organizations, secret societies, banned organizations, religious or political groups, advocacy ...
s, a strip club named Orlando's. It was here, behind a locked and heavily guarded door, that the drug money was counted and secured before being sent on to its ultimate destination. Avon usually conducted his business in this office, rarely venturing onto the street. The club's legal owner, Orlando Blocker, was kept away from the drugs in order to maintain the front's appearance of legitimacy for the city. The organization laundered its profits through various fronts, including a funeral parlor, Orlando's, and a property developing company named B&B. It also invested in property, never actually using either Avon or Stringer's names on official papers. It also made campaign contributions and later bribes for assistance with development contracts.


Leadership


Avon Barksdale

Avon Barksdale (played by
Wood Harris Sherwin David "Wood" Harris (born October 17, 1969) is an American actor. He first garnered attention for his role as Motaw in the Jeff Pollack film '' Above the Rim'' (1994), prior to portraying high school football player Julius Campbell in t ...
) is the head of the Barksdale organization. In season one, he is the target of an investigation of a Major Case Squad after homicide detective
Jimmy McNulty James McNulty is a fictional character and the protagonist of the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by Dominic West. McNulty is an Irish-American detective in the Baltimore Police Department. While talented in his profession, McNulty's conceited ...
, who seems to be the only authoritative figure aware of his presence or his empire, reveals his identity to his superiors. Avon is feared by other drug dealing criminal organizations in Baltimore due to his ferocity. He is portrayed as hotheaded yet is also a shrewd and intuitive gangster. His drug empire includes the best territory in Baltimore for drug dealers. Together with his closest friend Stringer, Avon and their enforcers dominate the heroin trade in West Baltimore. Despite Stringer's attempts to move the two towards legitimacy, Avon shows little interest in leaving the drug business or West Baltimore.


Russell "Stringer" Bell

Stringer (played by
Idris Elba Idrissa Akuna Elba Order of the British Empire, OBE ( ; born 6 September 1972) is an English actor and musician. He has received a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for three BAFTA Awards and six Primetime Emmy Awards, Emmy Awards. He w ...
) is Avon Barksdale's second-in-command, closest friend, and the main strategist behind coordinating their street dealing organization which he does as the main contact for all business. He also attends community college to better understand business and economics and to apply them to the drug trade. Together, Stringer and Avon operate out of a strip club where they discuss business, conduct meetings with their subordinates and launder money. His greatest aspiration is to transition into the legitimate business world. Aside from wholesaling drug packages, Stringer wants to enter the business world and leave the violence. In the third season Stringer is killed by
Omar Little Omar Devone Little is a fictional character on the HBO Crime fiction, crime drama TV series, series ''The Wire'', portrayed by Michael K. Williams. He is a notorious Baltimore Stickup, stick-up man who frequently robs street-level Drug trafficking ...
and
Brother Mouzone Brother Mouzone is a fictional character on the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by actor Michael Potts. Character history Brother Mouzone (from Arabic موزون ''mawzūn'', meaning "balanced,” "weighted") is a drug enforcer and hitman from N ...
in his own commercial building that was in development at the time.


Sean "Shamrock" McGinty

*Played by:
Richard Burton Richard Burton (; born Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.; 10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor. Noted for his mellifluous baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s and gave a memor ...
*Appears in: :Season two: "
Ebb Tide Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravity, gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another. Tide ...
"; " Hot Shots"; "
Hard Cases "Hard Cases" is the fourth episode of the second season of the HBO original series ''The Wire''. The episode was written by Joy Lusco from a story by David Simon & Joy Lusco and was directed by Elodie Keene. It originally aired on June 22, 20 ...
" and " Port in a Storm". :Season three: " Time After Time"; " All Due Respect"; " Dead Soldiers"; " Hamsterdam"; " Straight and True"; "
Homecoming Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States and Canada. United St ...
"; " Back Burners"; " Moral Midgetry"; "
Slapstick Slapstick is a style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity that exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy. Slapstick may involve both intentional violence and violence by mishap, often resulting from inept use of props such as ...
"; "
Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...
" and " Mission Accomplished". Shamrock was
Stringer Bell Russell "Stringer" Bell is a fictional character in ''The Wire'', played by Idris Elba. In the criminal world of early 2000s Baltimore, Bell serves as drug kingpin Avon Barksdale's second-in-command and assumes direct control of the Barksdale O ...
's main assistant while
Avon Barksdale Avon Randolph Barksdale is a fictional character in the American television series ''The Wire'', played by Wood Harris. Barksdale is one of the most powerful drug dealers in Baltimore, Maryland, and runs the Barksdale Organization. Stringer Bell ...
was in prison. Stringer sounds out his loyalty by having him followed on a trip to Philadelphia to collect a package of drugs, along with
Bodie Broadus Preston "Bodie" Broadus is a fictional character on the HBO drama series ''The Wire'', played by actor J. D. Williams. Bodie is initially a rough, low-level drug dealer, but matures throughout the series and slowly rises through the ranks. Bodie ...
. The package was not delivered correctly, but Shamrock and Bodie keep to Stringer's orders and meticulously document their progress, and Stringer is satisfied with their response. Stringer entrusts Shamrock with driving Bodie to dispose of the weapons used in a misguided territory war after a young child was killed by a stray bullet. Unfortunately Bodie unknowingly drops the bag of guns onto a passing barge instead of into the water. Little comes of the mistake because Bodie had already wiped the weapons clean of fingerprints. Stringer entrusts Shamrock with the set-up of CO Dwight Tilghman to allow Avon to exchange information about Tilghman with the prison authorities for an early parole hearing. Stringer, Shamrock and
Country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
follow Tilghman and learn that he smuggles heroin from
Butchie Butchie is a fictional character on the HBO drama series ''The Wire'', portrayed by S. Robert Morgan. A blind man, he runs an East-Side Baltimore bar, and is Omar Little's bank and advisor. Like his character, actor S. Robert Morgan is blind; ...
into the prison. Stringer has Shamrock deliver a package of tainted narcotics to Tilghman through Butchie, causing several deaths in the prison. Shamrock also plants narcotics in Tilghman's car to make sure Avon could successfully inform on Tilghman. By season three, Shamrock is Stringer's top assistant who oversees the technical aspects of the drug distribution to the various drug dealing crews. Shamrock oversees Stringer's organizational meetings at the funeral home and is told to keep to
Robert's Rules of Order ''Robert's Rules of Order'', often simply referred to as ''Robert's Rules'', is a manual of parliamentary procedure by U.S. Army officer Henry Martyn Robert (1837–1923). "The object of Rules of Order is to assist an assembly to accomplish the ...
. He tries to keep minutes at the first meeting of the
New Day Co-Op ''The Wire'' is an American crime drama television series created and primarily written by the American author and former police reporter David Simon for the cable network HBO. The series premiered on June 2, 2002, and ended on March 9, 2008, ...
, a group of major Baltimore drug players; Stringer curtly reminds him that he is taking notes on a criminal conspiracy. Stringer uses Shamrock to insulate himself from the street; Shamrock takes phone calls on Stringer's behalf, then organizes face to face meetings at secure locations. Stringer put Shamrock in charge of overseeing
Bernard Bernard ('' Bernhard'') is a French and West Germanic masculine given name. It has West Germanic origin and is also a surname. The name is attested from at least the 9th century. West Germanic ''Bernhard'' is composed from the two elements ''be ...
in obtaining disposable cell phones used by the organization. Stringer insisted that Bernard buy a maximum of two phones from any one outlet. Once Shamrock takes over, he stops checking up on Bernard and Bernard begins to buy phones in bulk from
Lester Freamon Lester Freamon is a fictional character on the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by actor Clarke Peters. Freamon is a detective in the Baltimore Police Department's Major Crimes Unit. He is a wise, methodical detective whose intelligence and experie ...
, an undercover officer in the Major Case unit investigating Stringer. Freamon is thereby able to supply the Barksdale's crew with pre-wiretapped phones. When Avon is paroled, Shamrock continues in his role as Stringer's assistant controlling their drug dealing through the lieutenants and crew chiefs. He is peripherally involved in Avon's turf war with
Marlo Stanfield Marlo Stanfield is a fictional character on the HBO television drama ''The Wire'', played by actor Jamie Hector. Stanfield is a young, ambitious, intelligent and ruthless gangster and head of the eponymous Stanfield Organization in the Baltimor ...
, passing messages back and forth to soldiers. Shamrock is arrested alongside Avon at the end of season three.


Slim Charles

Slim Charles was an enforcer hired by the Barksdales in season three when they needed muscle after the arrests of Savino, Wee-Bey and Bird and the deaths of Little Man and Stinkum. He proves himself to be capable and loyal on multiple occasions despite his lack of support. Upon Stringer Bell's death he became Avon Barksdale's second-in-command. After Avon's subsequent arrest, Slim Charles began working for
Proposition Joe Joseph Stewart, better known as "Proposition Joe" or "Prop Joe", is a fictional character on the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by Robert F. Chew. Joe is an Eastside drug lord who prefers a peaceful solution to business disputes when possible. H ...
and the
New Day Co-Op ''The Wire'' is an American crime drama television series created and primarily written by the American author and former police reporter David Simon for the cable network HBO. The series premiered on June 2, 2002, and ended on March 9, 2008, ...
, an organization of which he eventually takes a leading role.


Soldiers


Season one


Bird

*Played by:
Fredro Starr Fred Lee Scruggs Jr. (born April 18, 1971), better known by his stage name Fredro Starr, is an American rapper and actor best known as a member of the hardcore rap group Onyx. Fredro Starr was discovered by the late hip hop star Jam Master Jay o ...
*Appears in: :Season one: " The Pager" (uncredited) and " One Arrest". :Season two: " All Prologue". Marquis "Bird" Hilton is a foul-mouthed soldier in the Barksdale crew who is involved in the brutal murder of
Omar Little Omar Devone Little is a fictional character on the HBO Crime fiction, crime drama TV series, series ''The Wire'', portrayed by Michael K. Williams. He is a notorious Baltimore Stickup, stick-up man who frequently robs street-level Drug trafficking ...
's boyfriend and accomplice Brandon. As revenge, Omar cooperates with the police to provide testimony that Bird killed William Gant, a state witness against
D'Angelo Barksdale D'Angelo "Dee" Barksdale is a fictional character on the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by Larry Gilliard Jr. D'Angelo is the nephew of Avon Barksdale and a lieutenant in his drug dealing organization which controls most of the trade in West Bal ...
as a warning to others not to testify. Because the police need a witness, Omar agrees to falsely testify that he saw Bird shoot Gant with his signature gun. Omar further tells the police they will find Bird taking drugs (contrary to the rules of the Barksdale organization) and that they should be careful, as Bird is reckless. The arrest is made, and a ballistics report matches Bird's gun to the killing. Before the police begin interrogating Bird, Landsman takes a photo of the injuries on Bird's face so that he can't claim they were inflicted in custody. Bird vehemently rejects their offer to provide information on the people he works for, throwing out as many foul-mouthed insults as he can. His vulgar attitude towards his interrogators prompts Daniels to tear up the Polaroid image, and then, along with Kima and Landsman, deliver a three-man beatdown. Largely because of Omar's testimony, Bird is convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole by Judge Phelan.


Little Man

*Played by: Micaiah Jones *Appears in season one: "
The Detail ''The Detail'' is a Canadian television police procedural drama series, developed by Ley Lukins, that premiered on CTV on March 25, 2018. The series, which stars Angela Griffin in the lead role of Detective Stevie Hall, features a trio of femal ...
" (uncredited); "
Lessons A lesson or class is a structured period of time where learning is intended to occur. It involves one or more students (also called pupils or learners in some circumstances) being taught by a teacher or instructor. A lesson may be either one ...
" (uncredited); " Game Day" (uncredited); " The Cost" (uncredited) and " The Hunt". Wintell "Little Man" Royce was a heavyset soldier in the Barksdale crew, responsible for enforcing their regime at the Franklin Towers, mainly Tower 221. He is responsible for handing bags of cash to senator
Clay Davis R. Clayton "Clay" Davis is a fictional character on the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by actor Isiah Whitlock, Jr. Davis is a corrupt Maryland State Senator with a reputation for pocketing bribes. However, throughout the series Davis remains ...
' aide Damien "Day Day" Price. With
Wee-Bey Brice Roland "Wee-Bey" Brice is a fictional character in the HBO drama ''The Wire'' played by Hassan Johnson. Wee-Bey is a trusted soldier and third-in-command of the Barksdale Organization. Character storyline Wee-Bey dropped out of school in sixth g ...
, he is involved in the shooting of "Orlando" and specifically shot Detective Greggs because he was surprised by her presence.
Stringer Bell Russell "Stringer" Bell is a fictional character in ''The Wire'', played by Idris Elba. In the criminal world of early 2000s Baltimore, Bell serves as drug kingpin Avon Barksdale's second-in-command and assumes direct control of the Barksdale O ...
decides that with the police cracking down on them because an officer has been shot, they would be better off without the unreliable Little Man, and Wee-Bey kills him. The murder occurs offscreen, but Wee-Bey later tells the police where to find Little Man's body as part of his confession.


Perry

*Played by: Perry Blackmon *Appears in: :Season one: " Game Day" (uncredited) :Season two: "
Ebb Tide Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravity, gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another. Tide ...
" (uncredited) :Season three: " Time After Time" (uncredited); " Dead Soldiers" (uncredited); " Moral Midgetry" and " Mission Accomplished" (uncredited). Perry was a soldier in the Barksdale organization, usually seen acting as security at the funeral home they use as a base of operations. He sometimes acts as a bodyguard for
Avon Barksdale Avon Randolph Barksdale is a fictional character in the American television series ''The Wire'', played by Wood Harris. Barksdale is one of the most powerful drug dealers in Baltimore, Maryland, and runs the Barksdale Organization. Stringer Bell ...
. He is playing video games with Rico when
Omar Little Omar Devone Little is a fictional character on the HBO Crime fiction, crime drama TV series, series ''The Wire'', portrayed by Michael K. Williams. He is a notorious Baltimore Stickup, stick-up man who frequently robs street-level Drug trafficking ...
robs a Barksdale stash house he was supposed to be keeping secure. Perry is one of those arrested for weapons violations at the Barksdale safehouse.


Savino Bratton

Savino Bratton was a soldier in the Barksdale Organization. He is involved in setting up the shooting of Detective Greggs and
Orlando Orlando commonly refers to: * Orlando, Florida, a city in the United States Orlando may also refer to: People * Orlando (given name), a masculine name, includes a list of people with the name * Orlando (surname), includes a list of people wit ...
and is sentenced to three years imprisonment. Savino is eventually killed in season five by Omar Little.


Anton "Stinkum" Artis

*Played by: Brandon Price *Appears in: :Season one: " The Target" (uncredited); "
The Detail ''The Detail'' is a Canadian television police procedural drama series, developed by Ley Lukins, that premiered on CTV on March 25, 2018. The series, which stars Angela Griffin in the lead role of Detective Stevie Hall, features a trio of femal ...
"; " The Buys"; " Old Cases"; " The Pager"; " One Arrest" and "
Lessons A lesson or class is a structured period of time where learning is intended to occur. It involves one or more students (also called pupils or learners in some circumstances) being taught by a teacher or instructor. A lesson may be either one ...
" Anton "Stinkum" Artis was a lieutenant and enforcer in the Barksdale crew, responsible for making re-supplies from the crew's base at the Franklin Towers to their territory in the low-rise projects, known as "The Pit". He is robbed during one such delivery by stick-up man
Omar Little Omar Devone Little is a fictional character on the HBO Crime fiction, crime drama TV series, series ''The Wire'', portrayed by Michael K. Williams. He is a notorious Baltimore Stickup, stick-up man who frequently robs street-level Drug trafficking ...
, later taking part in the brutal killing of Omar's accomplice and boyfriend Brandon in retribution. Stinkum is set to be a central piece of the Barksdale detail's case as their investigation progressed, amassing much evidence of him performing various illegal acts. The police seizes the resupply from his subordinate Kevin Johnston, but allow Stinkum to go free to avoid arousing suspicion about their surveillance methods. After being promoted by
Avon Barksdale Avon Randolph Barksdale is a fictional character in the American television series ''The Wire'', played by Wood Harris. Barksdale is one of the most powerful drug dealers in Baltimore, Maryland, and runs the Barksdale Organization. Stringer Bell ...
to run new territory for the organization, Stinkum is killed by Omar as revenge for Brandon.


Roland "Wee-Bey" Brice

Wee-Bey was the Barksdale organization's most trusted soldier, before being arrested in season one for multiple homicides. He becomes a connection for the crew and its members while they go through the system for lesser crimes. His family uses his trusted status in the crew to its fullest advantage and after he is arrested they attempt to carry on with dealings on the street as usual, updating him on their periodic visits to speak at the prison.


Season two


Country

*Played by: Addison Switzer *Appears in: :Season two: "
Ebb Tide Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravity, gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another. Tide ...
" (uncredited) and " Hot Shots" (uncredited). :Season three: " Time After Time" (uncredited); " All Due Respect"; " Straight and True" and "
Homecoming Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States and Canada. United St ...
". Country was a Barksdale soldier who returned to work for the organization as soon as he was released from prison, despite being on parole. He is first seen trailing Bodie and
Shamrock A shamrock is a type of clover, used as a symbol of Ireland. The name ''shamrock'' comes from Irish (), which is the diminutive of the Irish word and simply means "young clover". At most times'', Shamrock'' refers to either the species ...
to Philadelphia, to make sure they follow
Stringer Bell Russell "Stringer" Bell is a fictional character in ''The Wire'', played by Idris Elba. In the criminal world of early 2000s Baltimore, Bell serves as drug kingpin Avon Barksdale's second-in-command and assumes direct control of the Barksdale O ...
's orders. He also works with Shamrock to set up crooked prison guard Dwight Tilghman so that
Avon Barksdale Avon Randolph Barksdale is a fictional character in the American television series ''The Wire'', played by Wood Harris. Barksdale is one of the most powerful drug dealers in Baltimore, Maryland, and runs the Barksdale Organization. Stringer Bell ...
could inform on Tilghman to reduce his prison sentence. During a later turf war between Barksdale and
Marlo Stanfield Marlo Stanfield is a fictional character on the HBO television drama ''The Wire'', played by actor Jamie Hector. Stanfield is a young, ambitious, intelligent and ruthless gangster and head of the eponymous Stanfield Organization in the Baltimor ...
, Country is one of Slim Charles' few voices of experience in a team of young soldiers, until he is killed in an attempted drive-by on one of Marlo Stanfield's corners. The driver, Chipper, refuses to follow Slim's orders to wait for a signal before making a move.


Rico

*Played by: Rico Whelchel *Appears in: :Season two: "
Ebb Tide Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravity, gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another. Tide ...
" (uncredited) :Season three: " Time After Time" (uncredited), " Dead Soldiers" (uncredited) and " Back Burners". Rico was a soldier in the Barksdale organization, usually seen acting as security at the funeral home they use as a base of operations. He is playing video games with Perry when
Omar Little Omar Devone Little is a fictional character on the HBO Crime fiction, crime drama TV series, series ''The Wire'', portrayed by Michael K. Williams. He is a notorious Baltimore Stickup, stick-up man who frequently robs street-level Drug trafficking ...
robs a Barksdale stash house he was supposed to be keeping secure, and was involved in the subsequent shootout. He is then assigned to provide security for
Poot Carr Malik "Poot" Carr is a fictional character in the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by actor Tray Chaney. Poot is a drug dealer in the Barksdale Organization who slowly rises through the ranks. He eventually leaves the drug trade after it causes ...
's corner because of the turf war with
Marlo Stanfield Marlo Stanfield is a fictional character on the HBO television drama ''The Wire'', played by actor Jamie Hector. Stanfield is a young, ambitious, intelligent and ruthless gangster and head of the eponymous Stanfield Organization in the Baltimor ...
. Rico is killed in a drive-by shooting by Stanfield soldier Snoop against Poot's corner.


Tank

*Played by: Jonathan D. Wray *Appears in: :Season two: "
Ebb Tide Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravity, gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another. Tide ...
" (uncredited). :Season three: " Time After Time" (uncredited); " All Due Respect" (uncredited) and " Dead Soldiers". Tank was a Barksdale organization soldier. He was first seen working with
Country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
checking up on newly promoted crew chief
Bodie Broadus Preston "Bodie" Broadus is a fictional character on the HBO drama series ''The Wire'', played by actor J. D. Williams. Bodie is initially a rough, low-level drug dealer, but matures throughout the series and slowly rises through the ranks. Bodie ...
as he made a trip to collect a new package of narcotics. Later, in the third season, Tank is shown to be guarding Barksdale stash houses. Tank is killed by Kimmy from
Omar Little Omar Devone Little is a fictional character on the HBO Crime fiction, crime drama TV series, series ''The Wire'', portrayed by Michael K. Williams. He is a notorious Baltimore Stickup, stick-up man who frequently robs street-level Drug trafficking ...
's crew during a shootout following an abortive heist of the stash house he was guarding.


Season three


Bernard

*Played by: Melvin Jackson, Jr. *Appears in: :Season three: " Back Burners"; " Moral Midgetry"; "
Slapstick Slapstick is a style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity that exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy. Slapstick may involve both intentional violence and violence by mishap, often resulting from inept use of props such as ...
"; "
Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...
" and " Mission Accomplished". Bernard was a mule in the Barksdale organization given the task of buying their supply of disposable mobile phones used by the entire organization every two weeks in order to not be traced. "Shamrock" insists that Bernard buy no more than two phones at any one outlet (providing receipts to prove it) using rental cars to do so each time, per
Stringer Bell Russell "Stringer" Bell is a fictional character in ''The Wire'', played by Idris Elba. In the criminal world of early 2000s Baltimore, Bell serves as drug kingpin Avon Barksdale's second-in-command and assumes direct control of the Barksdale O ...
's cautious instructions. Bernard's nagging girlfriend "Squeak", tires of the time spent repeatedly visiting dozens of stores while she accompanied him on these outings. She puts Bernard in touch with an undercover
Lester Freamon Lester Freamon is a fictional character on the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by actor Clarke Peters. Freamon is a detective in the Baltimore Police Department's Major Crimes Unit. He is a wise, methodical detective whose intelligence and experie ...
, who provides them with illegally re-charged phones at a lower price (and fake receipts), in actuality phones with pre-installed wiretaps. Information collected from these phones eventually brings down the Barksdale drug operations, including the arrest of Bernard and Squeak. Bernard says that he could not wait to go to jail to get away from Squeak, and does not seem to be entirely kidding.


Cutty

Cutty was a prisoner who became affiliated with the Barksdales when they needed muscle, recommended by his cellmate Wee-Bey. After Cutty's release from prison, he proves highly effective in the organization until he realizes that he is no longer willing to kill people, declaring "The game ain't in me no more". He leaves the organization on respectful terms from Avon, who later gives him money to start a boxing gym.


Devonne

*Played by: Tiara Harris *Appears in: :Season three:" Moral Midgetry" and "
Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...
" Devonne is a young woman used by the Barksdale Organization as bait for
Marlo Stanfield Marlo Stanfield is a fictional character on the HBO television drama ''The Wire'', played by actor Jamie Hector. Stanfield is a young, ambitious, intelligent and ruthless gangster and head of the eponymous Stanfield Organization in the Baltimor ...
. She is first mentioned by Avon as a means to get close to Marlo Stanfield. She catches Marlo's attention in a club and he approaches her. Marlo checks that she is there with friends and declines both drinking and dancing. Instead they leave the club together. After they have sex in his car Devonne persuades him to meet her again the following day. Marlo phones Devonne to arrange a meeting and begins to feel suspicious. He assigns
Chris Partlow Christopher "Chris" Partlow is a fictional character on the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by actor Gbenga Akinnagbe. Chris is Marlo Stanfield's second-in-command and bodyguard in his drug dealing operation. He is a minor antagonist for season 3 a ...
to investigate Devonne. Snoop sits in the restaurant Marlo arranged to meet Devonne at and notices a Barksdale soldier buying a large quantity of food and taking it to a nearby SUV. Snoop reports in to Partlow. Partlow observes Devonne receiving a signal from the car figures out it is a trap. Marlo and Chris Partlow set up a night time ambush for Devonne. When she emerges from her home, Marlo shoots her once in each breast, then a third time through her mouth. Partlow assures him that the murder was necessary. She bears the distinction of being the only person that Marlo has personally murdered on-screen, as opposed to having Chris do it.


Gerard

*Played by: Leonard A. Anderson *Appears in season three: " Dead Soldiers" (uncredited); " Hamsterdam"; " Straight and True"; "
Homecoming Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States and Canada. United St ...
"; " Moral Midgetry"; "
Slapstick Slapstick is a style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity that exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy. Slapstick may involve both intentional violence and violence by mishap, often resulting from inept use of props such as ...
" and " Mission Accomplished". Gerard was a dim Barksdale organization enforcer working under
Slim Charles Slim Charles is a fictional character in the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by Anwan Glover. An enforcer for the Barksdale Organization and later the top lieutenant of kingpin Proposition Joe, he is portrayed as principled, loyal, and competen ...
, though more intelligent than
Sapper A sapper, also called a combat engineer, is a combatant or soldier who performs a variety of military engineering duties, such as breaching fortifications, demolitions, bridge-building, laying or clearing minefields, preparing field defenses ...
, who he usually works with. He is first seen guarding the front door during one of
Omar Little Omar Devone Little is a fictional character on the HBO Crime fiction, crime drama TV series, series ''The Wire'', portrayed by Michael K. Williams. He is a notorious Baltimore Stickup, stick-up man who frequently robs street-level Drug trafficking ...
's attempted heists. Later, Gerard, Sapper and
Dennis "Cutty" Wise Dennis "Cutty" Wise is a fictional character inspired by real-life boxing trainer Calvin Ford on the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by actor Chad Coleman. Wise is a reformed criminal who sets up a boxing gym for neighborhood children. The name "D ...
are charged with finding a thief in the Barksdale organization. Cutty's experience makes the task simple, and Gerard and Sapper punish the culprit with a savage beating. Gerard and Sapper are thrown out of
Avon Barksdale Avon Randolph Barksdale is a fictional character in the American television series ''The Wire'', played by Wood Harris. Barksdale is one of the most powerful drug dealers in Baltimore, Maryland, and runs the Barksdale Organization. Stringer Bell ...
's homecoming party when Barksdale saw them come in high. Gerard receives more work as the organization becomes embroiled in a turf war with
Marlo Stanfield Marlo Stanfield is a fictional character on the HBO television drama ''The Wire'', played by actor Jamie Hector. Stanfield is a young, ambitious, intelligent and ruthless gangster and head of the eponymous Stanfield Organization in the Baltimor ...
. He is almost killed in an attempted drive by where both Chipper and Country are killed, when Chipper, the driver, impatiently sets off early. Gerard and Sapper are later involved in the attempted shooting of Omar's grandmother, in violation of the Sunday truce. They are ordered by
Avon Barksdale Avon Randolph Barksdale is a fictional character in the American television series ''The Wire'', played by Wood Harris. Barksdale is one of the most powerful drug dealers in Baltimore, Maryland, and runs the Barksdale Organization. Stringer Bell ...
to replace a hat that they damaged in this unsanctioned action. Gerard is arrested at a Barksdale safehouse for weapons violations.


Sapper

*Played by: Brandan T. Tate *Appears in season three: " Dead Soldiers" (uncredited); " Hamsterdam"; " Straight and True"; " Moral Midgetry"; "
Slapstick Slapstick is a style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity that exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy. Slapstick may involve both intentional violence and violence by mishap, often resulting from inept use of props such as ...
" and " Mission Accomplished". Sapper is a young idiotic Barksdale organization enforcer working under
Slim Charles Slim Charles is a fictional character in the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by Anwan Glover. An enforcer for the Barksdale Organization and later the top lieutenant of kingpin Proposition Joe, he is portrayed as principled, loyal, and competen ...
. He often works with
Gerard Gerard is a masculine forename of Proto-Germanic language, Proto-Germanic origin, variations of which exist in many Germanic and Romance languages. Like many other Germanic name, early Germanic names, it is dithematic, consisting of two meaningful ...
, and seems to be the dumber of the two. He is probably best remembered for enthusiastically uttering the line "like a forty-degree day!" as he misunderstands a speech from Stringer Bell. Sapper is first seen guarding the back door during an attempted heist by
Omar Little Omar Devone Little is a fictional character on the HBO Crime fiction, crime drama TV series, series ''The Wire'', portrayed by Michael K. Williams. He is a notorious Baltimore Stickup, stick-up man who frequently robs street-level Drug trafficking ...
. Gerard, Sapper and
Dennis "Cutty" Wise Dennis "Cutty" Wise is a fictional character inspired by real-life boxing trainer Calvin Ford on the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by actor Chad Coleman. Wise is a reformed criminal who sets up a boxing gym for neighborhood children. The name "D ...
were charged with finding a thief in the Barksdale organization. Cutty's experience made the task simple and Gerard and Sapper punished the culprit with a savage beating. Gerard and Sapper were later thrown out of
Avon Barksdale Avon Randolph Barksdale is a fictional character in the American television series ''The Wire'', played by Wood Harris. Barksdale is one of the most powerful drug dealers in Baltimore, Maryland, and runs the Barksdale Organization. Stringer Bell ...
's homecoming party when Barksdale saw them come in high. Gerard and Sapper are later involved in the attempted shooting of Omar Little while Omar was with his grandmother after church, in violation of the Sunday truce. They are ordered by
Avon Barksdale Avon Randolph Barksdale is a fictional character in the American television series ''The Wire'', played by Wood Harris. Barksdale is one of the most powerful drug dealers in Baltimore, Maryland, and runs the Barksdale Organization. Stringer Bell ...
to replace a hat that they damaged in this unsanctioned action. Sapper is incarcerated at Avon's weapon stash house at the end of season 3.


Drug dealers


D'Angelo Barksdale

D'Angelo Barksdale was Avon's nephew and a lieutenant in his drug dealing organization. He was mainly responsible for leading the corner boys in their street dealings and coordinating their earnings and performance. He was the main connection between the upper levels of the crew and the street kids that were selling the product. He struggles with the morality behind his trade and came close to informing on the crew because of it, only relenting because of loyalty to family ties his mother reminded him of before signing. He took the sentence and went to prison where he was killed by a hitman sent by Stringer Bell in season 2.


Ronnie Mo

*Played by: Jarvis W. George *Appears in season one: "
The Detail ''The Detail'' is a Canadian television police procedural drama series, developed by Ley Lukins, that premiered on CTV on March 25, 2018. The series, which stars Angela Griffin in the lead role of Detective Stevie Hall, features a trio of femal ...
" (uncredited), " Cleaning Up" and "
Sentencing In criminal law, a sentence is the punishment for a crime ordered by a trial court after conviction in a criminal procedure, normally at the conclusion of a trial. A sentence may consist of imprisonment, a fine, or other sanctions. Sentences f ...
". "Ronnie Mo" Watkins ran the drug dealing operation in "The Pit" for the Barksdale organization before
D'Angelo Barksdale D'Angelo "Dee" Barksdale is a fictional character on the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by Larry Gilliard Jr. D'Angelo is the nephew of Avon Barksdale and a lieutenant in his drug dealing organization which controls most of the trade in West Bal ...
. Ronnie Mo's promotion to overseeing Building 851 as a crew chief came just prior to the beginning of the series. Before the promotion, he worked with Bodie, Poot and
Wallace Wallace may refer to: People * Clan Wallace in Scotland * Wallace (given name) * Wallace (surname) * Wallace (footballer, born 1986), full name Wallace Fernando Pereira, Brazilian football left-back * Wallace (footballer, born 1987), full name Wa ...
in the low rises. Ronnie Mo is seen flirting with dancers at Avon's strip club. He is arrested by Herc, when the Barksdale investigation comes to an end, and is sentenced to fifteen years due to prior felonies.


Bodie Broadus

Bodie was a loyal drug dealer for the Barksdale organization who rose up in the ranks of the organization and was later left to run his own small independent crew after the organization fell apart. Eventually, he was forced to work for, and was subsequently killed by
Marlo Stanfield Marlo Stanfield is a fictional character on the HBO television drama ''The Wire'', played by actor Jamie Hector. Stanfield is a young, ambitious, intelligent and ruthless gangster and head of the eponymous Stanfield Organization in the Baltimor ...
's crew.


Poot

Poot is a loyal drug dealer for the Barksdale organization, who serves brief prison time for his crimes. By the end of the series he is working at a shoe store attempting to distance himself from the game after growing tired of it and reeling from the loss of many friends.


Sterling

*Played by: Curtis Montez *Appears in season one: " The Buys" (uncredited), " The Pager" and "
Sentencing In criminal law, a sentence is the punishment for a crime ordered by a trial court after conviction in a criminal procedure, normally at the conclusion of a trial. A sentence may consist of imprisonment, a fine, or other sanctions. Sentences f ...
". Sterling is a drug dealer in the low rise projects (known as "the pit") under
D'Angelo Barksdale D'Angelo "Dee" Barksdale is a fictional character on the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by Larry Gilliard Jr. D'Angelo is the nephew of Avon Barksdale and a lieutenant in his drug dealing organization which controls most of the trade in West Bal ...
. Sterling is in charge of the crew's stash of narcotics, giving vials of drugs to the runners when needed. When
Omar Little Omar Devone Little is a fictional character on the HBO Crime fiction, crime drama TV series, series ''The Wire'', portrayed by Michael K. Williams. He is a notorious Baltimore Stickup, stick-up man who frequently robs street-level Drug trafficking ...
robs the crew, Sterling refuses to tell him where the stash is hidden and Omar shoots him in the kneecap. When
Stringer Bell Russell "Stringer" Bell is a fictional character in ''The Wire'', played by Idris Elba. In the criminal world of early 2000s Baltimore, Bell serves as drug kingpin Avon Barksdale's second-in-command and assumes direct control of the Barksdale O ...
asks D'Angelo to flush out leaks in his team, D'Angelo discovers that Sterling (along with Cass) is stealing from him. He lets them off with a warning and a demotion to lookouts. When
Bodie Broadus Preston "Bodie" Broadus is a fictional character on the HBO drama series ''The Wire'', played by actor J. D. Williams. Bodie is initially a rough, low-level drug dealer, but matures throughout the series and slowly rises through the ranks. Bodie ...
takes over "The Pit", Sterling is involved in his efforts to drive off a rival crew and is seen wielding a baseball bat alongside Bodie and Poot.


Wallace

Wallace is a 16-year-old drug dealer in the Barksdale crew's low rise projects organization, who is looking after a number of younger children in the neighborhood. He tries to leave the drug trade over guilt for his role in the death of Brandon,
Omar Little Omar Devone Little is a fictional character on the HBO Crime fiction, crime drama TV series, series ''The Wire'', portrayed by Michael K. Williams. He is a notorious Baltimore Stickup, stick-up man who frequently robs street-level Drug trafficking ...
's boyfriend, and he informs on the Barksdale Organization for the police. He is subsequently murdered by his friends Poot Carr and Bodie Broadus, on orders from Stringer Bell. D'Angelo Barksdale, who had befriended Wallace, grows outraged when he learns of the murder; it drives a permanent wedge between D'Angelo and Stringer, and is one of the main factors that leads D'Angelo to want to leave "the game" himself.


Puddin

*Played by: De'Rodd Hearns *Appears in: :Season one: " The Hunt" (uncredited); "
Sentencing In criminal law, a sentence is the punishment for a crime ordered by a trial court after conviction in a criminal procedure, normally at the conclusion of a trial. A sentence may consist of imprisonment, a fine, or other sanctions. Sentences f ...
" (uncredited) :Season two: "
Ebb Tide Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravity, gravitational forces exerted by the Moon (and to a much lesser extent, the Sun) and are also caused by the Earth and Moon orbiting one another. Tide ...
"; " Stray Rounds" (uncredited); " Port in a Storm" and "
Duck and Cover "Duck and cover" is a method of personal protection against the effects of a nuclear explosion. Ducking and covering is useful in offering a degree of protection to personnel located outside the radius of the nuclear fireball but still within ...
" (uncredited). :Season three: " Time After Time"; " All Due Respect"; " Dead Soldiers"; " Back Burners" and " Mission Accomplished" (uncredited). Herbert De'Rodd "Puddin'" Johnson is a drug dealer in
Bodie Broadus Preston "Bodie" Broadus is a fictional character on the HBO drama series ''The Wire'', played by actor J. D. Williams. Bodie is initially a rough, low-level drug dealer, but matures throughout the series and slowly rises through the ranks. Bodie ...
' crew in the 221 Tower building for the Barksdale organization. Puddin handles the count for Bodie and also spends time with him and
Poot Carr Malik "Poot" Carr is a fictional character in the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by actor Tray Chaney. Poot is a drug dealer in the Barksdale Organization who slowly rises through the ranks. He eventually leaves the drug trade after it causes ...
when they are not working. In season two, Puddin is involved in a shoot out that results in the death of a nine-year-old boy. Puddin stays with Bodie after the towers are demolished. Bodie is tasked with moving into
Marlo Stanfield Marlo Stanfield is a fictional character on the HBO television drama ''The Wire'', played by actor Jamie Hector. Stanfield is a young, ambitious, intelligent and ruthless gangster and head of the eponymous Stanfield Organization in the Baltimor ...
's territory, and his crew get into a turf war with a Stanfield crew led by
Fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (angiosperms) that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propaga ...
. Puddin and his fellow dealers are severely beaten with baseball bats by Fruit, Jamal and a group of Stanfield soldiers as a warning to the Barksdale organization. Puddin is arrested along with Avon and many others in the organization at the end of season 3. Puddin is played by De'Rodd Hearns who also works in the post production department and is the half brother of DeAndre McCullough. DeAndre plays Lamar on ''The Wire'' and was the basis of a character in David Simon's ''
The Corner ''The Corner'' is a 2000 HBO drama television miniseries based on the nonfiction book '' The Corner: A Year in the Life of an Inner-City Neighborhood'' (1997) by David Simon and Ed Burns, and adapted for television by David Simon and David M ...
''.


Kevin Johnston

*Played by: Jimmy Jelani Manners *Appears in: "
The Detail ''The Detail'' is a Canadian television police procedural drama series, developed by Ley Lukins, that premiered on CTV on March 25, 2018. The series, which stars Angela Griffin in the lead role of Detective Stevie Hall, features a trio of femal ...
"; " One Arrest" Kevin Johnston is a drug dealer in season one, he is first seen when
Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski Roland "Prez" Pryzbylewski is a fictional character on the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by actor Jim True-Frost. Pryzbylewski is a detective of Polish heritage in the Baltimore Police Department. Initially seen as incompetent and rash, he pr ...
, Herc, and Carver go to the 221 towers and cause a bust without backup and Prez pistol-whips Johnston, leaving him blind in one eye. Kevin is later tailed by the police with Stinkum on their way to the low rise pit to drop four G packs of dope for
D'Angelo Michael Eugene Archer (born February 11, 1974), better known by his stage name D'Angelo (), is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He first garnered attention after co-producing the single "U Will Know" ...
's crew, Kevin jumps out of the car with the bag of drugs and is chased by the police at the pit and is arrested. He is interrogated by Lieutenant Daniels in an attempt to get Kevin become an informant against the Barksdale drug empire. Kevin refuses to say anything, comparing the proposition to being pimped by the police. He is not seen again and presumed to being in jail on drug charges.


Legal representation


Maurice Levy

Levy was the Barksdale organization's lawyer.


Front workers


Wendell "Orlando" Blocker

*Played by:
Clayton LeBouef Clayton LeBouef (born November 12, 1954) is an American actor, best known for his recurring role as Colonel George Barnfather in '' Homicide: Life on the Street''. He appeared in several episodes during each of the show's seven seasons on the a ...
*Appears in season one: " The Target"; " The Pager"; " One Arrest"; "
Lessons A lesson or class is a structured period of time where learning is intended to occur. It involves one or more students (also called pupils or learners in some circumstances) being taught by a teacher or instructor. A lesson may be either one ...
"; " Game Day"; " The Cost" and " The Hunt". Orlando acted as a front operator for the Barksdale crew and ran their strip club, Orlando's. Orlando had ambitions to get involved with the drug dealing aspect of the organization, but his superiors needed him to keep a clean record for the club's licensing. He approached
D'Angelo Barksdale D'Angelo "Dee" Barksdale is a fictional character on the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by Larry Gilliard Jr. D'Angelo is the nephew of Avon Barksdale and a lieutenant in his drug dealing organization which controls most of the trade in West Bal ...
to try to involve him in cocaine dealing but D'Angelo refused and eventually told his uncle, Avon. Avon punished Orlando with a humiliating beating. Orlando was later arrested when he tried to buy drugs from an undercover Maryland State Police officer and agreed to inform on Barksdale for the police. While imprisoned for the charge he was spotted by a Barksdale affiliate inmate who phoned in Orlando's whereabouts. He was visited by Barksdale organization lawyer Maurice Levy, who was there to take his name off the club's license rather than offer help. Orlando was killed by Barksdale soldiers
Wee-Bey Brice Roland "Wee-Bey" Brice is a fictional character in the HBO drama ''The Wire'' played by Hassan Johnson. Wee-Bey is a trusted soldier and third-in-command of the Barksdale Organization. Character storyline Wee-Bey dropped out of school in sixth g ...
and
Little Man Little Man may refer to: Characters * The Little Man (''The Pink Panther''), a recurring character in ''The Pink Panther'' cartoons * Clayton Chester "Little Man" Logan, from the novel ''Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry'' * Wintell "Little Man" Royc ...
in a botched sting operation which also resulted in the shooting of detective
Kima Greggs Shakima "Kima" Greggs is a fictional character on the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by actress Sonja Sohn. Greggs is a determined and capable police detective in the Baltimore Police Department. Openly lesbian, she often displays a hardened, cyn ...
.


Shardene Innes

*Played by: Wendy Grantham *Appears in: :Season 1: " The Target"; " The Buys"; " The Pager"; "
The Wire ''The Wire'' is an American Crime fiction, crime Drama (film and television), drama television series created and primarily written by the American author and former police reporter David Simon for the cable network HBO. The series premiered o ...
"; "
Lessons A lesson or class is a structured period of time where learning is intended to occur. It involves one or more students (also called pupils or learners in some circumstances) being taught by a teacher or instructor. A lesson may be either one ...
"; " Game Day"; " The Cost"; " Cleaning Up"; "
Sentencing In criminal law, a sentence is the punishment for a crime ordered by a trial court after conviction in a criminal procedure, normally at the conclusion of a trial. A sentence may consist of imprisonment, a fine, or other sanctions. Sentences f ...
". :Season 2: " All Prologue". :Season 5: "
–30– -30- has been traditionally used by journalists in North America to indicate the end of a story or article that is submitted for editing and typesetting. It is commonly employed when writing on deadline and sending bits of the story at a time, v ...
" Shardene was a dancer at Orlando's, who deliberately ignored the illegal activity in the club because she wanted to make quick money. Her first meeting with
D'Angelo Barksdale D'Angelo "Dee" Barksdale is a fictional character on the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by Larry Gilliard Jr. D'Angelo is the nephew of Avon Barksdale and a lieutenant in his drug dealing organization which controls most of the trade in West Bal ...
did not go well, but she later agreed to go out with him. Shardene and D'Angelo moved in together after seeing each other for a few months, and it was going well until Detectives Lester Freamon, Freamon and Kima Greggs, Greggs showed her the body of Keesha, another dancer from the club. D'Angelo had told her the girl was taken to a hospital following an overdose at a party. In reality, she had (unbeknownst to him) been left to die, wrapped in a carpet, and dumped by
Wee-Bey Brice Roland "Wee-Bey" Brice is a fictional character in the HBO drama ''The Wire'' played by Hassan Johnson. Wee-Bey is a trusted soldier and third-in-command of the Barksdale Organization. Character storyline Wee-Bey dropped out of school in sixth g ...
. She felt betrayed by D'Angelo and agreed to try to help the police however she safely could. Shardene moved out of D'Angelo's place soon after this. Kima and Freamon wired her with a microphone, and she attempted to get close to Barksdale's conversations with little success. Frightened, Shardene begged to be allowed to stop, but Freamon persuaded her to help them determine the floorplan of the club so they could install a hidden camera in
Avon Barksdale Avon Randolph Barksdale is a fictional character in the American television series ''The Wire'', played by Wood Harris. Barksdale is one of the most powerful drug dealers in Baltimore, Maryland, and runs the Barksdale Organization. Stringer Bell ...
's office, which ultimately led them to catch Avon incriminating himself on video. Freamon and Shardene grew close during the investigation, and by season 2 they were sharing an apartment. Although she was no longer a stripper (having been encouraged by Freamon to enroll in nursing school), she was able to help put the detectives in touch with some dancers when they were investigating the deaths of girls involved in the sex trade. In Season 5, in the series' penultimate episode, Freamon hopes Shardene is awake because he is "in the mood for love" as he prepares to return home after a celebratory drinking session with Bunk. Shardene appeared in the series finale with Lester as they celebrate with other policemen the "death" of Freamon and McNulty's careers as police.


Family


Donette

*Played by: Shamyl Brown *Appears in: :Season one: "
The Detail ''The Detail'' is a Canadian television police procedural drama series, developed by Ley Lukins, that premiered on CTV on March 25, 2018. The series, which stars Angela Griffin in the lead role of Detective Stevie Hall, features a trio of femal ...
"; " The Pager" and " The Cost". :Season two: " Hot Shots"; "Undertow (The Wire), Undertow"; and "Backwash (The Wire), Backwash" :Season three: " All Due Respect"; " Dead Soldiers"; " Hamsterdam"; "
Homecoming Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States and Canada. United St ...
"; " Back Burners" and " Mission Accomplished". Donette is drug lieutenant
D'Angelo Barksdale D'Angelo "Dee" Barksdale is a fictional character on the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by Larry Gilliard Jr. D'Angelo is the nephew of Avon Barksdale and a lieutenant in his drug dealing organization which controls most of the trade in West Bal ...
's girlfriend in season 1 and is the mother of his son. Shortly after his acquittal, D'Angelo brings her to a party organized by Avon, where she first meets
Stringer Bell Russell "Stringer" Bell is a fictional character in ''The Wire'', played by Idris Elba. In the criminal world of early 2000s Baltimore, Bell serves as drug kingpin Avon Barksdale's second-in-command and assumes direct control of the Barksdale O ...
. She often worries over her financial situation and nags D'Angelo for money. At one point, D'Angelo takes her to dinner at an upscale restaurant, and D'Angelo tries to explain his doubts about his lifestyle to her, but Donette dismisses his worries. D'Angelo begins seeing #Shardene Innes, Shardene Innes behind Donette's back during the course of the season. After D'Angelo is arrested, Avon gives Donette an allowance as support money. Donette then gets involved with Stringer Bell while D'Angelo is in prison. She visits D'Angelo at Stringer's behest to try to ease the experience of prison for him. Stringer has mounting concerns that D'Angelo is going to reveal to the authorities information about the Barksdale organization's drug dealing, covertly orders him killed, and has the death staged to look like a suicide. In season 3,
Jimmy McNulty James McNulty is a fictional character and the protagonist of the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by Dominic West. McNulty is an Irish-American detective in the Baltimore Police Department. While talented in his profession, McNulty's conceited ...
reinvestigates D'Angelo's death and figures out what really happened. When he tries to use this information to coerce Donette into cooperating, she refuses to talk to him. She passes the information about McNulty's visit on to D'Angelo's mother #Brianna Barksdale, Brianna. Donette is shown in the montage at the end of season 3 weeping on her couch, having lost both D'Angelo and now Stringer Bell to the drug trade. This is Donette's last appearance in the series; the Barksdale organization is of only peripheral importance once Avon is imprisoned and Stringer is dead.


Brianna Barksdale

*Played by: Michael Hyatt *Appears in: :Season one: " Cleaning Up" and "
Sentencing In criminal law, a sentence is the punishment for a crime ordered by a trial court after conviction in a criminal procedure, normally at the conclusion of a trial. A sentence may consist of imprisonment, a fine, or other sanctions. Sentences f ...
". :Season two: "Collateral Damage (The Wire), Collateral Damage"; " All Prologue"; "Backwash (The Wire), Backwash" and " Stray Rounds". :Season three: " Straight and True"; "
Homecoming Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States and Canada. United St ...
"; " Moral Midgetry"; "
Slapstick Slapstick is a style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity that exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy. Slapstick may involve both intentional violence and violence by mishap, often resulting from inept use of props such as ...
"; and " Mission Accomplished". :Season four: "Margin of Error (The Wire), Margin of Error". Brianna Barksdale is D'Angelo Barksdale, D'Angelo's mother and Avon Barksdale, Avon's sister. Brianna grew up in West Baltimore, and her family has always been involved in the drug trade. With her brother Avon controlling narcotics on the West Side, Brianna acts as an advisor, helps to manage their profits, and receives a healthy income, nice home, and new car for her efforts. She raised her son to manage the tough streets and got him working in the family business as soon as he was old enough. D'Angelo was quickly made a lieutenant in Avon's operation despite some misgivings. She first appears bringing food to D'Angelo at work. Later, she is fiercely protective of her son when he is arrested for drug trafficking, insisting that Avon was wrong for sending him to pick up narcotics. Her brother promises to do everything he can to help D'Angelo. When D'Angelo is ready to turn against his family, Brianna visits him and changes his mind, convincing him to accept a lengthy prison sentence to protect Avon. When D'Angelo once more begins to withdraw from his family in prison, Brianna visits him to try to talk him around. This time, D'Angelo insists that he doesn't want to see her again. When D'Angelo is killed on Stringer's orders and his death staged to look like a suicide, Brianna is distraught. She is comforted by Stringer, oblivious to his complicity in D'Angelo's death. Brianna argues with Avon to allow Stringer to manage their business his way while Avon is imprisoned. When Avon is released, she continues to advise both men.
Jimmy McNulty James McNulty is a fictional character and the protagonist of the HBO drama ''The Wire'', played by Dominic West. McNulty is an Irish-American detective in the Baltimore Police Department. While talented in his profession, McNulty's conceited ...
, doing off-the-books work into D'Angelo's murder, tells Barksdale Organization#Donette, Donette about his suspicions. Donette passes the information on to Brianna. Brianna, suspicious, meets with McNulty and is convinced by the evidence, not the least when he rips into her over how she convinced D'Angelo to accept the harsh prison sentence in the first place. She confronts Avon and Stringer about McNulty's allegations and asks Avon, indirectly at first, if he ordered D'Angelo's killing. He truthfully denies any involvement (although Stringer has, by this point, admitted to Avon that he ordered the murder). Brianna is not convinced and begins to hold Avon responsible for D'Angelo's death. Brianna is left at the helm of what remains of the Barksdale empire when Avon is arrested and Stringer is killed. She is responsible for distributing their funds to family members of incarcerated crew members. For example, she pays De'Londa Brice to raise Wee-Bey's son, Namond Brice, Namond. She eventually decides to cut off the families, stating that she has no further income and no need to protect Avon because of the rift in their relationship. She calls Namond and De'Londa to her home to give them the news and tries to ensure that Namond knows his mother has received more than enough to live on already. Brianna is not seen in season 5, but is mentioned as the recipient of a large cash sum from
Marlo Stanfield Marlo Stanfield is a fictional character on the HBO television drama ''The Wire'', played by actor Jamie Hector. Stanfield is a young, ambitious, intelligent and ruthless gangster and head of the eponymous Stanfield Organization in the Baltimor ...
as part of a deal with Avon to let Marlo directly contact the Greeks.


De'Londa Brice

*Played by: Sandi McCree *Appears in season four: "Soft Eyes"; "Home Rooms" (uncredited); "Alliances (The Wire), Alliances"; "Margin of Error (The Wire), Margin of Error"; "Misgivings;" "A New Day (The Wire), A New Day;" "That's Got His Own"; "Final Grades". De'Londa is the mother of Namond Brice. Namond's father
Wee-Bey Brice Roland "Wee-Bey" Brice is a fictional character in the HBO drama ''The Wire'' played by Hassan Johnson. Wee-Bey is a trusted soldier and third-in-command of the Barksdale Organization. Character storyline Wee-Bey dropped out of school in sixth g ...
is incarcerated for multiple homicides. Although De'Londa has adopted Wee-Bey's last name, they are not married. De'Londa raises her son using funds from the criminal organization Wee-Bey worked for, and she holds Wee-Bey in high regard as a male role model for Namond. She actively encourages Namond to get involved in Baltimore's drug trade and uses Wee-Bey's contacts to get him work. De'Londa owns her own home and spends a relatively large amount on clothes and jewelry compared to her neighbors. She ensures that Namond always wears expensive clothes even when he has misbehaved. De'Londa enjoys regular shopping trips to New York City and visits to Atlantic City, New Jersey, Atlantic City while leaving Namond to care for himself. When Barksdale Organization#Brianna Barksdale, Brianna Barksdale cuts De'Londa off from the Barksdale empire, De'Londa is left fuming. She decides the only way to support her way of life is to have her son work as a crew chief. She bosses one-time Barksdale lieutenant
Bodie Broadus Preston "Bodie" Broadus is a fictional character on the HBO drama series ''The Wire'', played by actor J. D. Williams. Bodie is initially a rough, low-level drug dealer, but matures throughout the series and slowly rises through the ranks. Bodie ...
into giving Namond a package of his own and instructs Namond on how best to sell it but will not let him drop out of school for his new work. After De'Londa's confrontation with her son resulting in his running away, Wee-Bey, on the advice of Howard "Bunny" Colvin, insists that she let the boy go to follow his own path. De'Londa relents and the season's final episode concludes with Namond's having been unofficially adopted by the Colvin family.


References

{{The Wire The Wire Fictional organized crime groups