RIP The Real Avon Barksdale(s)
“There are some anecdotal connections between his story and a multitude of characters.
We mangled street and given names throughout The Wire so that it was a general shout-out to the west-side players. But there is nothing that corresponds to a specific character.” (Rolling Stone)
The Wire creator David Simon, commenting on Nathan Barksdale, the Baltimore original drug kingpin who died in prison this week aged 54 (15 years after he was one of the main Baltimore gangsters who first inspired Simon to create the character of Avon Barksdale).
“RIP to Melvin “Little Melvin” Williams, 73, who made me begin to rethink the drug war. You ended it free, brother.” (Twitter/ AVClub )
David Simons paying tribute last December to Melvin Williams who, as well as playing the Deacon in the Wire, was also one of Baltimore’s most infamous, intelligent and ultimately respected ex-drug capos.
