Spiros Vondas
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| Spiros Vondopoulos | |
|---|---|
 |
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| First appearance | Ebb Tide (episode 2.01) |
| Statistics | |
| Aliases | Vondas, Kirko Skaddeng, Spiros |
| Gender | Male |
| Age | 40s |
| Occupation | International smuggling/Organized Crime underboss |
| Episode Count | 14 |
| Portrayed by | Paul Ben-Victor |
| Created by | David Simon |
Spiros "Vondas" Vondopoulos is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire played by actor Paul Ben-Victor.
[edit] Biography
Vondas is The Greek's second-in-command and acted as a buffer between the Greek and his illegal activities and using a small cafe as his base of operations. The name Spiros Vondopolous is one of a range of identities that he has available to him. Vondas manages all aspects of the Greek's illicit shipping business, but keeps a low-profile,and is very surveillance conscious.
Vondas is Frank Sobotka's point of contact for his smuggling with The Greek. He was even-tempered and patient, often having to soothe an increasingly angry and frightened Sobotka as the Baltimore police began a serious investigation into Sobotka's union. He also handled much less savory tasks: when a sailor in the Greek's employ, Sam, murdered fourteen girls meant for work as prostitutes Vondas killed the man once the Greek had interrogated him. Vondas managed the Greek's drug dealing through their Israeli lieutenant Eton Ben-Eleazer. His own personnel involved in the smuggling operation included driver and enforcer Serge and warehouse front operator George "Double G" Glekas.
He often met with Nick Sobotka, who frequently served as Frank's go-between, and Vondas took an almost paternal interest in the younger man. Impressed with Nick's intelligence, he gave him the task of stealing a shipment of chemicals. He intervened in a dispute over a debt between Nick's cousin Ziggy Sobotka and a drug dealer supplied by the Greek, Melvin "Cheese" Wagstaff. Despite a personal dislike for Ziggy he ordered Serge to argue his case to Proposition Joe, Cheese's uncle and superior. Vondas' distrust of Ziggy proved correct when Ziggy killed Glekas in an argument over payment for stolen goods. Ziggy was arrested soon afterwards and Vondas distanced the murder from the rest of the operation by removing all evidence of the business from the warehouse.
When Lieutenant Daniels's port detail began investigating the Greek's activity Frank Sobotka realized and tipped Vondas. During the finale outset's of the investigation, the Detail finally got a photo of Spiros when he was meeting drug lieutenant Eton on the waterfront of Baltimore. The Detail then surveilled his home and followed him to meetings at hotel rooms and the diner where he met with associates.
The Greek ordered Vondas to shut down the smuggling temporarily and replaced all of his personnel's telephones. The Greek withdrew from their meeting place at the cafe and began meeting Vondas in hotel rooms.
Vondas escaped arrest when the detail began rounding up the members of the Greek's smuggling ring. When Sobotka was arrested Vondas suggested that they could broker his loyalty by having a witness against Ziggy change his story. He put the proposition to Frank through Nick. Frank had already agreed to testify against the Greek's crew, but decided to meet with them for Ziggy's sake. The Greek learned of Frank's agreement through his inside man at the FBI, agent Koutris, and had Vondas murder Frank.
Following the murder Vondas left the country under a fake passport with the Greek. Before Vondas left he met with Proposition Joe to ensure him that the Greek's operation would continue to supply him using new personnel after a short break to avoid the investigation.
In season 4, it was revealed that Vondas had returned to Baltimore some time after the Major Crimes investigation of the docks had ended, and that he had resumed his working relationship with Proposition Joe. After a shipment from the Greeks to Proposition Joe's New Day Co-Op was stolen by Omar Little, Joe set up a meet with Vondas and Marlo Stanfield in order to assuage Marlo's suspicions that Joe had set him up in order to make him pay twice for the same shipment. While Marlo was satisfied with Vondas' explanation, he placed a tail on him in order to learn more about his role in importing the shipments into Baltimore.
