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That’s how good of a television series The Wire was. After reading news reports about the deaths of two men who were an integral part of the HBO show, all one could think was: “No, not again!” I may be exaggerating, but The Wire was so good, so alive, that its characters felt like real people. So when the actual people involved with making the series pass away. It hits you.

In the timespan of little over one month, the inspiration for stick-up king Omar Little and the actor who played the Machiavellian “Prop Joe” both left this world.

Donnie Andrews was the real life inspiration for Omar. He spent his youth robbing Baltimore drug dealers with a .44 magnum, Slate.com reports. While serving a life sentence he met then journalist David Simon, who would go on to create The Wire. Just like Omar, Andrews, too, had a close relationship with the police. During his time behind bars he became one of the Baltimore Police Department’s best informants for all of the gang and drug-related activity in the city. It earned him an early release in 2005 after having served 17 years. He immediately joined the writing staff of The Wire and even starred in a small part as a member of Butchie’s crew.

Donnie Andrews Andrews (right) died December 13, 2012, “following heart complications while in New York City where he was attending an event as part of his efforts to promote a non-profit outreach foundation. He was 58,” the Baltimore Sun reported.

And then there was “Prop Joe”. The gang boss who could talk his way out of any lethal situation. Actor Robert F. Chew (below) gave his character a heart. Made him more than just another slick and devious gangster. The 52-year-old Baltimore actor and teacher made Proposition Joe one of television’s most iconic criminals. On January 17, he “died of apparent heart failure in his sleep at his home in Northeast Baltimore, according to Clarice Chew, his sister,” tthe Baltimore Sun reported.

Baltimore and The Wire. Most people outside of the United States probably never heard of Baltimore before. After watching The Wire, however, they probably felt they knew the city through and through. But who were the real gangsters that served as inspiration for characters like Marlo, Avon Barksdale, and Stringer Bell? Which murders actually took place? Which politicians were corrupt?

Puparo will start delving into B-more’s criminal history and give the readers of Gangsters Inc. a detailed rundown of the past and present of Baltimore’s gangland.

BALTIMORE A.K.A. BODYMORE

By Puparo

Television crime drama The Wire
David Simon creator, producer and head writer of The Wire. Baltimore city detective Edward Burns is a producer and writer for HBO’s Baltimore based crime drama The Wire. Drug dealer Nathan Barksdale is dramatized in the HBO series The Wire just like Baltimore drug dealers “Little” Melvin Williams, Lamont “Chin” Farmer and Louis “Cookie” Savage.

Baltimore police commissioner
Donald Pomerleau served as Baltimore commissioner from 1966 till 1981

Baltimore Democrat Mayor
William Donald Schaeffer became mayor in 1971 and served till 1987

Baltimore’s State Attorney Milton Allen started a special “Task Force on Narcotics” and in the team was Homicide investigator Stephen Tabeling

Baltimore Frank Matthews main dealer Brother Carter
Baltimore drug dealer John Edward “Liddy” (“Liddie”) Jones bought his drugs from Frank Matthews his Baltimore main dealer James Wesley “Big Head Brother” Carter (it was estimated that Carter provided 80% of the heroin market in Baltimore)

bail bondsman and Maryland House of Delegates member James “Turk” Scott (43) killed
13 July 1973 was bail bondsman and Maryland House of Delegates member James “Turk” Scott (43) shot and killed, he was under a federal indictment on charges of conspiracy to transport 40 pounds of heroin from new York to Baltimore

Baltimore Frank Matthews main dealer Brother Carter
In Baltimore was Frank Matthews main dealer James Wesley “Big Head Brother” Carter aka Bernard J. Lee and he got 5 December 1975 fifteen years

Baltimore drug boss Maurice “Peanut” King
With the disappearance of Frank Matthews in the early 70ties and the conviction of Frank Matthews main dealer James Wesley “Big Head Brother” Carter in Baltimore the new drug boss became Maurice “Peanut” King

East Baltimore based strip club Eldorado manager Kenneth Antonio “Kenny Bird” Jackson
East Baltimore based strip club Eldorado manager Kenneth Antonio “Kenny Bird” Jackson his enemy and rival is Maurice “Peanut” King

East Baltimore based strip club Eldorado manager Kenneth Antonio “Kenny Bird” Jackson
East Baltimore based strip club Eldorado manager Kenneth Antonio “Kenny Bird” Jackson beat murder raps in 1974 and 1991

Boston harbour based ILA Local 333
Members Riker “Rocky” McKenzie, Kenneth “Kenny Bird” McKenzie and Milton Tillman Jr.

Baltimore police commissioner
Frank Battaglia served as Baltimore commissioner from 1981 till 1984

Baltimore drug boss Maurice “Peanut” King
Maurice “Peanut” King was in July 1981 shot in the foot

Otis “Mike” Smith was in prison when his brother Howard Smith was shot and killed and Otis Smith became a witness against Maurice “peanut” King

Baltimore drug boss Maurice “Peanut” King
Thomas “Joe Dancer” Ricks was 1 April 1982 arrested for murder

Baltimore drug boss Maurice “Peanut” King
Maurice “Peanut” King, Thomas “Joe Dancer” Ricks, Clarence “Magic” Meredith, James Carter, Marcell “Black Barney” Moffat, Kerney “Wilco” Lindsey, Clinton Frisby, Stanley Rodgers and Beatrice Roberts (the girlfriend of Thomas “Joe Dancer” Ricks) stood on trial in 1982 and 1983

East Baltimore based strip club Eldorado manager Kenneth Antonio “Kenny Bird” Jackson
Walter Louis Ingram was spoken free from the January 1984 slaying of New York dealer Felix Gonzalez and with his was charged East Baltimore based strip club Eldorado manager Kenneth Antonio “Kenny Bird” Jackson

Baltimore police commissioner
Bishop Robinson served as Baltimore commissioner from 1984 till 1987

South Baltimore Westport area and West Baltimore Murphy Homes housing project was run by gang leader Timmirror Stanfield who stood on trial in a 1986 homicide investigation

West Baltimore based Boardley gang
Larry Donnell “Donnie” Andrews admitted to the August 1986 shooting of Boardley’s rival Spencer Downer at a bus stop in West Baltimore

West Baltimore based Boardley gang
In 1986 police arrested boxer Reggie Gross for the 12 September 1986 murder of Boardley gang member Andre Coxson

West Baltimore based Boardley gang
Larry Donnell “Donnie” Andrews and boxer Reggie Gross killed 23 September 1986 Rodney “Touche” Young and Zachary Roach

Baltimore police commissioner
Edward Tilghman served as Baltimore commissioner from 1987 till 1989

Baltimore Democrat Mayor
Clarence H Burns became mayor 26 January 1987 and served till December 1987

Baltimore Democrat Mayor
Kurt L Schmoke became mayor in December 1987 and served till 7 December 1999

Baltimore police commissioner
Edward Woods served as Baltimore commissioner from 1989 till 1993

Warren “Black” Boardley (27) pleaded guilty to racketeering in June 1989 and was sentenced to 46 years

Baltimore
12 August 1989 was Sherman Chenault (26) shot and killed and police arrested later as suspect Kent Daniel Tillman.

Elenora McCutcheon had as sons David Burley, Kevin Burley and Travis Wendell Burley who were all killed
David Burley returned home from prison in March 1990. 10 June 1990 David Burley (24) was shot and killed in West Baltimore

East Baltimore drug lord Anthony Ayeni Jones “AJ”
Baltimore drug lord Anthony Ayeni Jones and Darnell “Mookie” Jones killed in October 1994 Keith “Shugg” Westmoreland an East Baltimore drug dealer

Baltimore police commissioner
Thomas Frazier served as Baltimore commissioner from 1994 till 1999

East Baltimore drug lord Anthony Ayeni Jones “AJ”
East Baltimore drug lord Anthony “AJ” Jones had a war with his enemy East Baltimore dealer Elway Williams

East Baltimore drug lord Anthony Ayeni Jones “AJ”
Jones had his men kill Elway’s partner Anthony Green in 1995

East Baltimore drug lord Anthony Ayeni Jones “AJ”
Jones was shot in the arm 3 October 1995

East Baltimore drug lord Anthony Ayeni Jones “AJ”
5 October 1995 Elway man Raymund “Tupac” Harrison (Williams cousin) killed Jones right hand Deshane “Little Net” Carter as revenge for the murder of Anthony Green

East Baltimore drug lord Anthony Ayeni Jones “AJ”
25 January 1996 there was a shootout in which was involved Jett and Mark “Keedy” Coles (he was wounded) and killed was Coles friend Glen Wilson

East Baltimore drug lord Anthony Ayeni Jones “AJ”
26 February 1996 was Elway Williams chauffeur Derrick Rivers shot and killed and Elway Williams wounded when they were shot by Elway’s own men Alan “Wali” Chapman, Warren “Red Dog” Hill and Mark “Keedy” Coles.

Darnell “Mookie” Jones
Anthony Ayeni Jones step brother Darnell “Mookie” Jones killed 13 May 1996 Octavian Henry

Elenora McCutcheon had as sons David Burley, Kevin Burley and Travis Wendell Burley who were all killed
Kevin Burley (27) was shot and killed 24 August 1996 in a gun battle with an other man who was also killed

North West Baltimore based Rice brothers
The brothers Raeshio Rice and Howard Rice ordered the 16 December 1996 murder of Dante Green

North West Baltimore based Rice brothers
The brothers Raeshio Rice and Howard Rice ordered the 27 December 1996 attempted murder of Dennis Smith

East Baltimore drug lord Anthony Ayeni Jones
Baltimore drug lord Anthony Ayeni Jones ordered the murder of Angelo carter who was shot and wounded 16 February 1997

East Baltimore drug lord Anthony Ayeni Jones
Baltimore drug lord Anthony Ayeni Jones ordered the murder of his stepbrother John Jones (40) who was found killed 27 February 1997

Baltimore
Preacher crew member Derrick Hailstock was a New York drug dealer who confessed his role in nine murders testified against Anthony Ayeni Jones

West Baltimore based Lexington Terrace Boys
They killed 11 June 1999 Kevin James (29)

Baltimore Democrat Mayor
Martin J O’Malley became mayor 7 December 1999 and served till 17 January 2007

Baltimore police commissioner
Ronald Daniel served as Baltimore commissioner in 2000

Baltimore police commissioner
Edward Norris served as Baltimore commissioner from 2000 till 2002

Maryland prison gang Dead Man Inc (DMI)
Maryland prison gang Dead Man Inc (DMI) was started in 2000 by Breezy Dayy (close associate of the Black Guerilla Family), Vally Lewis, Bryan Jordan and Perry Roark and it was closely allied to the Black Guerilla Family (BGF)

West Baltimore based Lexington Terrace Boys
Foster shot and killed 27 June 2000 Cortez Bailey “Man Man” (18) in retaliation for the shooting of a member of the West Baltimore based Lexington Terrace Boys

East Baltimore based Hot Boys gang
They killed in November 2000 North Avenue/ Harford Boys gang member Keith E. “Bone” Hamlet with whose gang they have a feud

East Baltimore based Hot Boys gang
In April 2001 was Hot Boys leader Leon Coleman shot and wounded

East Baltimore based Hot Boys gang
28 May 2001 people gather to remember North Avenue/ Harford Boys gang member Keith E. “Bone” Hamlet (who had been killed in November 2000) when they shot and killed Lakeisha Moten (24) the girlfriend of Shawn Henry the cousin of Hamlet

Pasadena teen Crips leader Mark Anthony Miller killed
A Glen Burnie gang that calls itself the Crips killed 7 August 2001 the Pasadena teen Crips leader Mark Anthony Miller (no relation to the real Crips)

West Baltimore based Lexington Terrace Boys
16 August 2001 were killed Kevin A Pearson (19) and innocent bystander Michael C Hargrove (30) by Moses and taylor

West Baltimore based Lexington Terrace Boys
Lexington Terrace Boys members Michael Taylor and Keon Moses killed 23 September 2001 Gregory Spain (30) and Ronald Harris (23) and wounded Charles Brockington (22) in a robbery of drugs and money

Baltimore
Solothal Deandre Thomas “Itchy Man” shot and killed 2 October 2001 reformed drug dealer Jesse Williams.

West Baltimore based Lexington Terrace Boys
Michael Taylor would have killed 24 December 2001 Kiari Cromwell (23) and Derek Hamlin (24)

Willie “Bo” Mitchell
8 February 2002 Willie “Bo” Mitchell stabbed in Baltimore nightclub Hammerjacks a fellow drugsdealer in the back. Later that evening Mitchell himself was beaten up.

Willie “Bo” Mitchell
18 February 2002 Mitchell and Shelton Harris invited Oliver “Woody” McCaffity for a talk and he came and took with him his girlfriend Lisa brown and both were shot and killed by Mitchell and Harris. McCaffity was a friend of former heavy weight boxer champion Hasim Rahman.

Willie “Bo” Mitchell
24 March 2002 Mitchell, Shelton harris, Shelly Martin and Shwn Gardner murder then the brothers Darryl Wyche and Tony Wyche

Willie “Bo” Mitchell
Owned the company “Shake Down Entertainment Ltd” which had its own rap record label “Shystyville”

West Baltimore based Lexington Terrace Boys
Lexington Terrace Boys members Michael Taylor and Keon Moses killed 22 February 2002 potential witness Robert “Snoop” McManus (24).

West Baltimore based Lexington Terrace Boys
The crew killed 21 March 2002 Vance Beasley the owner of a Baltimore recording company

West Baltimore based Lexington Terrace Boys
1 April 2002 disappeared Travis Wendell Burley (19) and it is believed he was killed by the West Baltimore based Lexington Terrace Boys . Two of Burley’s brothers had also been killed and their mother was McCutcheon

7 June 2002 was Darius Spence wife Tanya shot and killed by Willie Montgomery and Shawn Gardner

Baltimore police commissioner
Kevin Clark served as Baltimore commissioner from 2003 till 2004

North West Baltimore based Rice brothers
The brothers Raeshio Rice and Howard Rice ordered the 22 June 2003 murder of Marvin Nutter

Special gang
14 September 2003 they killed Kevin Harper

Baltimore police commissioner
Leonard Hamm served as Baltimore commissioner from 2004 till 2007

Special gang
13 October 2004 they killed James Wise

Special gang
10 September 2005 they killed Shannon Jemmison

Special gang
19 October 2005 they killed Michael Bryant and wounded John Dowery

Special gang
23 November 2006 they killed John Dowery

Baltimore Democrat Mayor
Sheila Dixon became mayor 17 January 2007 and served till 4 February 2010

Baltimore police commissioner
Frederick Bealefeld III served as Baltimore commissioner from 2007 till 2012

East Baltimore drug lord Anthony Ayeni Jones “AJ”
29 November 2007 his kid brother Tywonde Jones (13) was stabbed to death by Tavon Burks (16) and Tyrone Walker (19) of the Bloods gang

East Baltimore drug lord Anthony Ayeni Jones “AJ”
Tavon Burks was killed and Tyrone Walker wounded 11 March 2008 by Blood member Leroy “Kenny” Taylor

Baltimore
8 June 2008 was Pasadena Denver Lanes Bloods gang leader Kenneth Jones kidnapped and killed by rival Kedar Anderson of the Bounty Hunters Bloods known as the Spider Gang which is led by Dajuan Marshall

Maryland prison gang Dead Man Inc (DMI)
Perry Roark ordered the 2 June 2009 murder of Tony Geiger

South Side Brims leader Andre Ricardo Roach
South Side Brims leader Andre Ricardo Roach his gang murdered a man 4 September 2009. Their enemies are the Pasadena Denver Lanes Bloods

South Side Brims leader Andre Ricardo Roach
South Side Brims leader Andre Ricardo Roach his gang killed 11 September 2009 gang member Jerome Blackman

Baltimore Democrat Mayor
Stephanie Rawlings Blake became mayor 4 February 2010 and served till now

12 December 2010 was Club Pussy Cat stripper Cherrie Gammon (25) shot and killed because she was suspected of stealing drugs from her bosses in the McCants – Baker druggroup

East Baltimore drug boss Robert Moore
27 April 2011 was Darian Kess (family of Robert Moore whose wife is Sarah Hooker whose brother is Donnie Adams) stabbed to death during a home invasion by three masked men.

East Baltimore drug boss Robert Moore
The next day Moore, Hooker and Adams shot and killed Alex Venable who they suspect and wound Thomas McNeil and Derrick Vaughn.

East Baltimore drug boss Robert Moore
7 June 2011 Robert Moore shot Veable relative Tavin baker.

East Baltimore drug boss Robert Moore
Alex Venable’s brother Allen Venable was shot 16 September 2011 by Anthony Roach.

East Baltimore drug boss Robert Moore
19 September 2011 was Edwin Willis shot.

East Baltimore drug boss Robert Moore
7 January 2012 was Derrick Vaughn shot

Former Maurice “Peanut” King associate Gregory Parker killed
19 March 2012 was Gregory Parker shot and killed , he had once worked for Clarence Meredith who was a partner of Maurice “Peanut” King

Baltimore police commissioner
Anthony Batts served as Baltimore commissioner from September 2012 till present

Baltimore based Hells Angels mc
Most of the members of Fates Assembly mc became members of the Baltimore Hells Angels

Baltimore/ Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI)

For more of Puparo's texts check out his section at Gangsters Inc.

Want to watch The Wire on dvd? Go buy every season on Amazon.com!

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