Avon Barksdale
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| Avon Barksdale | |
|---|---|
 |
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| First appearance | The Target (episode 1.01) |
| Last appearance | Mission Accomplished (episode 3.12) |
| Cause/Reason | Incarcerated |
| Statistics | |
| Gender | Male |
| Age | 30s |
| Occupation | Drug lord |
| Family | Brianna Barksdale (sister) |
| Relatives | D'Angelo Barksdale (nephew) |
| Portrayed by | Wood Harris |
| Created by | David Simon |
Avon Barksdale is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire played by actor Wood Harris. Avon is the top drug dealer in Baltimore, Maryland West side. Barksdale runs the drug trade in the area with total autonomy until his incarceration in season 3.
Avon is assisted by his old friend and second-in-command Stringer Bell and a vast organization of young drug dealers. He is interested only in controlling the drug distribution throughout Baltimore with nothing less than absolute power and believes that control of territory is the key to this objective. Throughout the series, he remains powerful running the distribution in and out of prison while dealing with conflict coming from his crew and the Police. Avon is hot-tempered and very concerned with his image on the street. Although he is not as cerebral as Stringer, he is shrewd and intuitive.
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[edit] Criminal organization
At the beginning of the series, Avon had control of the entire drug trade in West Baltimore. His territory included the prized Franklin Terrace tower blocks and the nearby low-rise projects referred to as "the pit". Avon ran the organization as a hierarchy with himself at the top and Stringer directly below him. They were isolated from the drugs and only handled money. Avon kept a low profile, eschewing overt displays of wealth so as not to attract attention, and avoiding being photographed. He retained attorney Maurice Levy, who advised him on how to counter police investigation, and represented members of the organization at hearings and trials.
Avon kept a team of enforcers on hand for protection, contract killings and intimidation work, including his old friend Wee-Bey Brice. He had several lieutenants reporting to him with each responsible for trade in a different area of the West Side, and some receiving a percentage of the profits for each package of narcotics sold. Beneath the lieutenants there was typically a second-in-command and several drug dealers. The dealers would hold positions such as: "touts" who were responsible for attracting customers; "runners" who would deliver drugs to the customer; "look-outs" responsible for watching for police or stick-up gangs approaching; or handling the money and the level of supply. Each dealer would receive a weekly cash payment for their work from the lieutenant above them.
Every member of the organization was subject to strict rules designed to thwart police investigations. The low level dealers were not allowed to carry cell phones or take drugs. They were all aware of how to deal with police interrogation and prepared with the knowledge that the organization would protect them up to a point, but if they turned on Avon, they would be marked for death. Lieutenants and enforcers carried pagers so that they could be contacted. 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. The code was based on simple use of the telephone keypad - numbers were swapped with their opposite across the number five, and five was exchanged with zero. This made it easily accessible to the poorly educated drug dealers. Each pager-carrying member of the hierarchy was identified by a number. When pages were returned with a phone call no names were supposed to be used, and if a name was used, the speaker was reminded not to. A separate code was used for resupply signals, which involved turning the pager display upside down.
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 where it could be diluted and divided into smaller "stashes" for distribution among the Barksdale towers. 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 such as Omar Little.
Avon had a main office in his front, a strip club named Orlando's. It was here, behind a locked and heavily guarded door, that the drug money was counted and secured in a safe before being sent on to its ultimate destination. Avon usually conducted his business in this office, rarely venturing onto the street. The club's owner, Orlando Blocker, was kept completely away from the drugs in order to maintain the front's appearance of legitimacy.
The organization laundered its profits through front businesses including a funeral parlor, Orlando's strip club, and a property developing company (B&B). They also invested in property but never using Barksdale or Bell's names. The organization made campaign contributions and later bribes to Senator Clay Davis, ostensibly for assistance in receiving developing contracts.
[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life
Barksdale grew up in the terrace high-rises and avoided arrest, remaining a furtive but increasingly powerful force on the west side of Baltimore's Drug Trade. A former amateur boxer, Avon was taught by his father how to survive in "the game" at an early age. He brought his friend, small-time thief Russell "Stringer" Bell, into the drug trade during their teens and took over the terrace high-rises during a gang war with a rival in 1999.
[edit] Season one
In season one Avon dealt with his errant nephew and lieutenant, D'Angelo, who had murdered someone in the public lobby of one of the organizations towers. Avon organized Levy to defend D'Angelo and had Stringer buy the co-operation of one of the witnesses who had previously identified D'Angelo. Stringer payed the witness, Nakeesha Lyles, to change her story in court. D'Angelo was acquitted and returned to work for Avon. Avon chastised him for committing the unnecessary murder (the victim was unarmed and D'Angelo acted out of panic) as it had cost the organization time and money. D'Angelo was demoted from running the 221 tower and moved into the "the pit" to replace Avon's lieutenant Ronnie Mo, who had recently been arrested. Avon also arranged for the murder of a second witness in D'Angelo's trial, William Gant, who he had been unable to intimidate or bribe. The murder was contracted to enforcer Marquis "Bird" Hilton and performed in Barksdale territory in front of the 221 tower where Gant worked.
D'Angelo was shaken by the murder of the man who had testified against him and began to have second thoughts about his life. When D'Angelo questioned the necessity of the killing Avon persuaded him to remain loyal to the family.
Then Barksdale's stash in the pit was robbed by legendary Baltimore stick-up man Omar during a resupply being carried by lieutenant Anton "Stinkum" Artis. Avon's temper got the better of him, and he became determined to have his revenge, placing a heavy bounty on Omar and his crew. Wee-Bey killed John Bailey, a member of Omar's crew. Omar's lover Brandon was identified by some of D'Angelo's crew and captured by Stringer, Wee-Bey, Bird and Stinkum. Brandon was tortured and killed and his corpse was displayed in the low rises as a warning just as Avon had instructed. This resulted in a war with Omar and led to the death of Stinkum and the wounding of Wee-Bey. The war culminated in a failed assassination attempt on Avon outside of Orlando's; Wee-Bey managed to save Avon from Omar.
The pit was also subject to raids by a specialist detail set up to investigate Avon's operation. They seized a second resupply of narcotics and arrested the carrier Kevin Johnston. They also arrested dealer Robert Browning from a small hand-to-hand sting operation. The robbery and police activity combined raised suspicion that there was a leak in the pit and Avon ordered D'Angelo to remove the pay phones (which had indeed been wiretapped) and had Stringer advise D'Angelo on testing the loyalty of his people.
Avon continued to be harried by the police - they briefly seized a payment on its way to Senator Davis but were forced to return it because of his political influence. They also seized an entire day's profits from Wee-Bey, totalling $22,000 dollars.
D'Angelo told Avon that his front operator Orlando had been trying to start a sideline in dealing cocaine with him. Avon beat Orlando and warned him that he had to stay clean to continue running the business that he had put in his name. Orlando persisted in trying to go into business for himself and Avon learned that he was in a county jail from a member of the organization serving time there. Avon dispatched Levy to have Orlando remove his name from the club's licence. Orlando contacted Avon's enforcer Savino Bratton to try to purchase drugs from him saying he needed it for bail money. Avon decided that Orlando was a liability and instructed Bratton to meet him far outside of their territory with a package of fake narcotics. Avon sent his enforcers Wee-Bey and Little Man with Bratton. Once Savino had met with Orlando the others were instructed to kill him. The job was complicated when they found a woman accompanying Orlando and Little Man panicked and shot her. Avon quickly learned that the woman was Detective Kima Greggs.
The shooting of a detective led to a massive crackdown from the police and raids were performed on the main supply house, the stash at the towers and several organization members' homes. Savino was forced to turn himself in but faced a sentence of just 3 years for the attempt to supply false narcotics. Avon and Stringer held a crisis meeting with Levy who advised them that the police were likely in a long-running investigation and that they needed to remove any loose ends. After the meeting Avon ordered several murders including unreliable enforcer Little Man, Nakeesha Lyles and a young dealer from the pit that Stringer was suspicious of named Wallace.
Avon finally incriminated himself on a hidden camera in his office at the end of season one, and was arrested. Other members of the organization arrested alongside him included Wee-Bey and lieutenants D'Angelo, Roc Roc, Peanut and CCO.
[edit] Season two
He was incarcerated for season 2, but was nonetheless active. D'Angelo and Wee-Bey were imprisoned with Avon, both due to serve much longer terms. Wee-Bey informed Avon that a prison guard, Dwight Tilghman, was harassing him, in retaliation for the murder of a relative. Avon tried to reason with Tilghman, but the guard refused to talk to him. Knowing that Tilghman had a side line in smuggling narcotics into the prison Avon contrived to supply him with tainted heroin, causing numerous deaths. When the warden began an investigation, Avon came forth as an "informant", accusing Tilghman of the crime. Narcotics were found in Tilghman's car, and Avon's first parole hearing was brought forward in exchange for the information despite being the one ultimately responsible.
Avon continued to run his organization from within the prison through Stringer. However Avon's arrest was closely followed by the arrest of one of their suppliers and the business relationship was brought to an end because they were suspicious that Avon might have named them to receive a lighter sentence. Avon recommended secondary sources to Stringer but was unable to secure anything much better. Stringer suggested that they give up a portion of their territory to their rival Proposition Joe. Avon quickly dismissed the idea, reminding Stringer how hard they worked to seize the territory in the first place. Stringer decided to act behind Avon's back and allowed Proposition Joe to move in despite Avon's order. Avon responded by contracting the feared Brother Mouzone to defend his turf. After Mouzone had been shot by Omar, Avon reluctantly agreed to Stringer's proposal.
[edit] Season three
Avon employed a woman named Devonne through Slim Charles to find Marlo and trap him. She encounters Marlo in a bar, seduces him, and gives him her phone number so they can meet up again. When they later plan to meet up, it becomes clear that a trap has been set and Marlo's enforcer Chris Partlow shoots and kills a Barksdale crew member named Tater and wounds Avon in the process. Later, Marlo finds Devonne and shoots her dead in front of her home.
He was arrested again at the end of season 3 based on evidence that Stringer Bell gave to Major Howard "Bunny" Colvin.[1][2]
Avon Barksdale's social security number is 212-09-7694.[3]
[edit] Origins
Avon's story of the first season itself mirrors real-life investigations of Baltimore drug traffickers like "Little Melvin" Williams, Chin Farmer, Cookie Savage, Warren Boardley and Linwood Williams, each of which writer Ed Burns played a part in.[4] The writers also drew from their experience of Baltimore in naming the characters. The Liberty Heights Barksdale family of five brothers is the source for the Barksdale family on the show.[5]
[edit] References
- ^ Org Chart - The Street. HBO (2004). Retrieved on 2006-07-27.
- ^ Character profile - Avon Barksdale. HBO (2004). Retrieved on 2006-07-27.
- ^ "Back Burners." David Simon, Joy Lusco. The Wire. HBO. 2004-11-07. No. 07, season 3.
- ^ Richard Vine (2005). Totally Wired. The Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved on 2006-07-19.
- ^ Jesse Walker (2006). Localist Television. Reactionary Radicals. Retrieved on 2006-07-22.
