New Day Co-Op
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| New Day Co-Op | |
| In | Baltimore, Maryland |
|---|---|
| Founded by | Stringer Bell and Proposition Joe |
| Years active | 2004-Present |
| Territory | Baltimore, Maryland |
| Ethnicity | African American |
| Criminal activities | drug dealing, conspiracy, money laundering, and murder |
| Allies | Stanfield Organization |
| Rivals | New York based drug dealing organizations |
The New Day Co-Op is a fictional criminal organization on the HBO drama television series The Wire. The New Day Co-Op, commonly referred to as the Co-Op, is a democratic alliance of drug dealers formed in the interests of promoting business and reducing violence. There are at least a dozen members of the Co-Op, many of whom have not been named on screen. Their attempts to reform drug dealing in Baltimore have often failed but the organization has persisted through several changes in leadership.
Contents |
[edit] History
Believing that the police would pay less attention to the drug trade if violence were kept to a minimum, "Proposition Joe" Stewart and Stringer Bell reached out to all the major drug kingpins in Baltimore, with an offer. Joe will provide them with his heroin, which is directly shipped by The Greek's organization and superior to any other because it is "fresh off the boat" and, thus, more pure; in return, they will all agree to settle their differences peacefully. They run their organization by Robert's Rules of Order. When Bell's business partner Avon Barksdale gets involved in a war with Marlo Stanfield in season three, the Co-Op votes to deny Bell the high quality heroin until the violence stops.[1][2][3][4] Ultimately, the Barksdale Organization dissolves, and with the death of Bell, total control of the Co-Op cedes to Stewart.
In the fourth season, the Co-Op faces two main problems - an incursion of New York drug dealers into Eastern Baltimore and continued violence linked to the Stanfield Organization on the West side. They decide that their primary concern is the New York drug dealers and to try and convince Stanfield to join the Co-Op to help to drive them off.[5][6] Stanfield is initially reluctant but is convinced by two factors. First Stewart engineers a conflict between Stanfield and Omar Little. Secondly Stanfield faces an ongoing police investigation. Stewart convinces Stanfield that the Co-Op has inside information on police activity as well as stick-up crews. Stanfield makes an attempt on Omar's life, which fails.
Omar gets revenge on Stanfield and Stewart by stealing the entire heroin shipment that Stewart's men are receiving from the Greeks. The other Co-Op members form a quorum and decide that Stewart should be responsible for replacing the lost heroin. Stewart threatens to cut them all off from the supply, since he is the only one with contact with The Greek, confirming his power over the group. The quorum reluctantly agrees. Stanfield demands to meet Spiros Vondas, the second-in-command to the Greek to confirm Stewart's story about the robbery. Stewart is forced to agree as his nephew Melvin "Cheese" Wagstaff faces reprisal from Stanfield unless he can be exonerated. After this meeting, Stanfield begins investigating the Greeks' role in importing the heroin into Baltimore.[7][8]
Over a year later the Co-Op faces loss of territory in Eastern Baltimore due to redevelopment of the city. They decide to pursue territory in Baltimore County and Stanfield is annoyed when they rule to give East side kingpins first refusal on the new opportunities. Stanfield creates dissent in Stewart's organization by suggesting that his lieutenant's be allowed to develop the new territory themselves.[9][10] Stanfield also establishes communication with Vondas without Stewart's knowledge via incarcerated former Greek soldier Sergei Malatov.[11][12] Stanfield makes repeated monetary offerings to The Greeks while using Stewart to train him to launder money.[13][14] The Greeks are eventually convinced to accept Stanfield's offer to act as their insurance policy against anything preventing Stewart from continuing to handle their supply because of Stanfield's tenacity and Stewart's perceived failure with the robbery.[15] Stanfield plans to subvert the loyalty of Cheese, first by offering a bounty on the now retired Omar. Stewart is reluctant to enrage the dangerous stick-up artist and withholds information about Omar's connection to mutual friend Butchie. Cheese reveals Butchie's connection to Stanfield without Stewart's knowledge and Stanfield rewards him with the bounty and has Butchie tortured and killed.[13][14] Cheese is embarrassed at a Co-Op meeting by complaints from charter member Hungry Man that he has been ignoring the agreed divisions of County territory. Stanfield capitalizes on this by kidnapping Hungry Man and delivering him to Cheese. Cheese responds in kind by giving away Stewart's whereabouts at a vulnerable time and Stanfield has Stewart murdered. After the murder, Stanfield establishes an exclusive connection to the Greek's supply. At the following co-op meeting he announces that there will be no more meetings, that anyone wanting a re-up will have to go through Monk or Cheese, and that the price is going up.[15]
Shortly thereafter, Marlo's first re-supply with the Greeks is busted due to information gleaned by the Major Crimes Unit from an illegal wiretap on Marlo's phones. Following the bust, Marlo, Monk, Cheese and Chris are arrested for conspiracy charges, and held without bail. Marlo is offered a deal by the State's Attorney's office to step down, while Chris will go down for the vacant murders while Cheese and Monk will each do twenty years for their part in the conspiracy. Marlo acquiesces and offers to sell the connect to the Greeks to whoever can pay him ten million dollars. Slim, Fat Face Rick and Cheese, among the remaining co-op dealers, band together and pool their monies in order to pay Stanfield--although Cheese is executed by Slim Charles shortly before the deal goes down--and Fat Face Rick, with Slim as his right hand man, assumes control over the reconstituted co-op and begins dealing with the Greeks.
[edit] Members
[edit] Leadership
[edit] Stringer Bell
- See also: Barksdale Organization
Stringer Bell was one of the founders of the New Day Co-Op, and the second-in-command to Westside gang leader Avon Barksdale. After his death, full control of the co-op ceded to Proposition Joe.
[edit] Ricardo Hendrix
- Played by: Troj Marquis Strickland
- Appears in:
- Season three: "Straight and True" (uncredited); "Slapstick"; "Reformation"
- Season four: "Home Rooms" (uncredited); "Final Grades"
- Season five: "More with Less"; "Transitions"; and "–30–."
Ricardo "Fat Face Rick" Hendrix is a drug kingpin from Baltimore's Veronica Avenue, on the East Side. He is typically seen smoking (sometimes a cigar, sometimes a cigarette), and is among the first to join the New Day Co-Op. He is a dissenting voice in the Co-Op for Stringer Bell when Avon Barksdale is warring with Marlo Stanfield.[1][2] Rick and Phil Boy assist Proposition Joe when he gives Bell the ultimatum, to either end the war with Stanfield or lose access to the high-quality heroin.[3][4] Later, he is the first to bring up the idea that West Sider Marlo Stanfield should work with the Co-Op against the encroachment from New York dealers.[5][6] At the end of the fourth season, he leads the quorum confronting Joe, after Omar has stolen the shipment.[7][8]
In the fifth season Rick's full name is revealed as Ricardo Hendrix when The Baltimore Sun runs a story exposing a corrupt property deal. Hendrix owns a strip club named Desperado and the council wants to relocate him to redevelop the land. However, they are offering to pay Hendrix more than his club is worth and to sell him better council owned property elsewhere so that he will net a million dollars for moving. The paper exposes a history of campaign donations from Hendrix and people using the address of his club including several to city council president Nerese Campbell who is sponsoring the property deal.[9][10]
Hendrix continues his involvement with the Co-Op and brags in a meeting about his property deal with his friend Hungry Man - drawing the ire of Stanfield.[15]
After Stanfield's arrest and sale of the connection to the Greeks, Hendrix, along with Slim Charles, is seen, in the series finale, meeting with Spiros Vondas and discussing the new business arrangement for importing the drugs into Baltimore.
[edit] Slim Charles
- Played by: Anwan Glover
- Appears in
- Season three: "Time after Time"; "All Due Respect"; "Dead Soldiers"; "Amsterdam"; "Straight and True"; "Homecoming"; "Back Burners"; "Moral Midgetry"; "Slapstick"; "Reformation"; "Middle Ground" and "Mission Accomplished".
- Season four: "Boys of Summer"; "Home Room"; "Alliances"; "Unto Others" (uncredited); "Misgivings;" "A New Day;" "That's Got His Own" and "Final Grades."
- Season five: "More with Less;" "Not for Attribution"; "Transitions"; "The Dickensian Aspect"; and "–30–."
Slim Charles became the Barksdale organization's chief enforcer while Stringer Bell ran things with Avon Barksdale in prison. He objects to Stringer putting product before territory after the loss of the high rise projects. When Avon is released, Slim Charles becomes his chief enforcer in the war with Marlo Stanfield. Although Charles proves himself a capable soldier on many occasions, the support he gathered around himself was not up to the task.
Charles was pleased to work with "Cutty" Wise as he remembered his reputation as a soldier to be feared. The two gelled well together, co-ordinating assaults on Stanfield territory, but they were let down by their driver Tater, who failed to follow their instructions. Several of Barksdale's crew were killed and Slim was forced to retreat. Slim and Cutty attacked one of Marlo's crews alone; Slim killed a young drug dealer, but Cutty allowed the crew chief, Fruit, to escape. Initially Slim Charles thought that he had ruined Cutty's shot, but Cutty admitted to him and Avon that he had been unable to take the shot and was retiring from his role. Charles and Avon agreed that Cutty was leaving "the game" with his reputation intact.
Slim Charles and Avon oversaw an operation to assassinate Marlo. They tried to ensnare him using a girl, Devonne, as bait. Stanfield realized that it was a trap, and had his soldier Chris attack Avon and Slim Charles while they waited. Avon was wounded and another soldier was killed, though Charles escaped unharmed.
Slim Charles was responsible for consoling Avon after the death of Stringer Bell. When Avon told Charles that he had lost heart for the war and that Stanfield was not responsible for Bell's death, Charles, now the second-in-command, reminded him that they were in a war with no way to back down, and they must blame Stanfield in order to rally their troops.
Slim Charles saw another opportunity to kill Stanfield when he found him at Vinson's rimshop with little protection. He phoned Avon, who went to get weapons from a stash house, and was promptly arrested along with most of his men in a police raid. Slim Charles escaped arrest and prosecution because he was waiting outside the rimshop rather than the weapons stash house.
As Season four commenced, Slim was now working for Proposition Joe, supplying the remains of the Barksdale drug dealers with narcotics. With their product as a firm foundation, Bodie Broadus built a successful operation, until Marlo tried to take over his corner. Bodie came to Slim Charles, who advised him not to stand up to Stanfield. Charles raised the problem at the next meeting of the Co-Op but they decided to negotiate with Stanfield and focus on problems with an incursion of New York dealers on the East side. Charles was doubtful that Stanfield would talk to them based on the Barksdales' experience. During the meeting Charles explained to the Co-Op how Stanfield has been hiding corpses in vacant row houses. When Joe's first meeting failed to convince Marlo he has Charles approach Partlow to arrange a second sit down, which Charles also attended. Though he never says it directly, it is implied that Charles doesn't approve of Marlo's murderous enforcement. This is shown when Marlo has Little Kevin killed for being taken in and interrogated by the police.[16]
In season five, Slim Charles continues to work for Proposition Joe. When Butchie is killed, Omar comes back to town and the first person he comes after is Slim, but lets him go when it is revealed that Prop Joe had nothing to do with it. After Joe is killed, Marlo takes control as leader of the Co-Op with Cheese as his lieutenant. Slim suspects that Marlo and Cheese were responsible for Joe's death and disapproves on the way they now conduct business. In the series finale, Slim fatally shoots Cheese for his part in Proposition Joe's death. In the ending montage, it is shown that Slim and Fat Face Rick are the new leaders of the Co-Op.
[edit] Marlo Stanfield
- See also: Stanfield Organization
Marlo Stanfield is the undisputed drug kingpin of West Baltimore. He is convinced to join the co-op after "Proposition Joe" Stewart engineers a conflict between him and Omar Little, and Stewart is able to convince Marlo that the co-op has inside information both about the stick-up boys and the police investigations into its members. Stewart's machinations backfire when Stanfield later has him murdered, takes control of the Co-Op and dissolves it. After Marlo is arrested and forced out of the "game", he sells his connection to Fat Face Rick, Slim Charles, and others for 10 million dollars.
[edit] "Proposition Joe" Stewart
Joseph "Proposition Joe" Stewart is an Eastside drug kingpin who supplies much of Baltimore through his direct connection to The Greek's smuggling organization. He is murdered and replaced as leader by Marlo Stanfield.
[edit] Other Members
[edit] Ghost
- Played by: Mike D. Anderson
- Appears in:
- Season three: "Straight and True" (uncredited); "Slapstick" (uncredited).
- Season four: "Final Grades" (uncredited).
- Season five: "More With Less" (uncredited)"Transitions" (uncredited) and "The Dickensian Aspect"(uncredited)
Ghost is an East side drug kingpin and Co-Op member. He is part of the quorum that confronts "Proposition Joe" Stewart following Omar Little's robbery of the Co-Op.[7][8] In the fifth season Ghost receives Baltimore county territory to compensate for territory lost in the gentrification of East Baltimore.[9][10] Ghost continues to attend Co-Op meetings throughout the fifth season.[15]
[edit] Hungry Man
- Played by: Duane Chandler Rawlings
- Appears in:
- Season four: "Home Rooms" (uncredited) and "Final Grades".
- Season five: "More With Less" and "Transitions".
Hungry Man, real name Nathaniel Manns, is an older East Side drug kingpin and charter member of the New Day Co-Op. Hungry Man is at the meeting to discuss encouraging Marlo Stanfield to join the Co-Op to combat the incursion of New York drug dealers into Eastern Baltimore. Hungry Man believes that Stanfield is hiding bodies by putting several into individual coffins through a funeral home front until he is corrected by Slim Charles.[5][6] He is part of the quorum that confronts "Proposition Joe" Stewart following Omar Little's robbery of the Co-Op.[7][8]
In the fifth season, Baltimore county territory is divided among East side kingpins to compensate for territory lost in the gentrification of East Baltimore. Hungry Man is one of the people to benefit from the arrangement. He tells Marlo Stanfield that he is out of line for encouraging Stewart to delegate control of the territory to his subordinates.[9][10] Later Hungry Man airs a grievance with Stewart's nephew Cheese because Cheese has been encroaching upon the territory assigned to Hungry Man. Cheese is furious, but Stewart promises that Cheese will respect the agreed boundaries. Stanfield observes Cheese storm out of the meeting. Stanfield's enforcers Chris Partlow and Snoop later kidnap Hungry Man and deliver him to Cheese as a gift to encourage Cheese to betray Stewart.[15]
[edit] Phil Boy
- Played by: Sho 'Swordsman' Brown
- Appears in:
- Season three: "Slapstick" (uncredited); "Reformation"
- Season four: "Final Grades"
- Season five: "Transitions"; "The Dickensian Aspect"; and "–30–."
Phil Boy is another portly kingpin who joins the Co-Op, though he does not attend the initial formation meeting. He is noticeably younger than his colleagues, and he can be recognized by the do-rag he always wears. He and Fat Face Rick accompany "Proposition Joe" Stewart when he gives Stringer Bell the ultimatum, to either end the war with Marlo Stanfield or lose access to the high-quality heroin.[3][4] Philboy is part of the quorum that confronts Stewart after Omar Little steals their shipment of narcotics.[7][8] Phil Boy continues to attend Co-Op meetings in the fifth season.[15]
[edit] Melvin "Cheese" Wagstaff
Cheese is the favorite nephew of Proposition Joe and a crew chief in his Eastside drug crew. He was murdered by Slim Charles.
[edit] Kintel Williamson
- Played by: unknown
- Appears in:
- Season three: "Straight and True" (uncredited); "Slapstick" (uncredited)
- Season four: "Home Rooms" (uncredited)
Kintel "Prince K" Williamson is a Jamaican drug kingpin from Baltimore's Park Heights, on the Northwest Side, recognizable by his long dreadlocks and beard. In the third season, the Major Case Unit briefly targets Williamson because they can easily connect him to murders, and Police Commissioner Burrell and Lieutenant Daniels want the stats for political reasons. Jimmy McNulty intervenes and gets the Unit to re-focus on Stringer Bell and Avon Barksdale. Williamson reduces his violent activity after joining the New Day Co-Op. When Barksdale continues warring with Marlo Stanfield, the police arrest several of Williamson's dealers as part of a general crackdown, leading him to push the Co-Op to confront Bell. He continues to attend Co-Op meetings in the fourth season.[1][2]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c "Slapstick". Alex Zakrzewski, Writ. David Simon (story), George P. Pelecanos (story and teleplay). The Wire. HBO. 2004-11-21. No. 9, season 3.
- ^ a b c The Wire episode guide - episode 34 Slapstick. HBO (2004). Retrieved on 2006-08-24.
- ^ a b c "Reformation". Christine Moore, Writ. Ed Burns (story and teleplay), David Simon (story). The Wire. HBO. 2004-11-28. No. 10, season 3.
- ^ a b c The Wire episode guide - episode 35 Reformation. HBO (2004). Retrieved on 2006-08-24.
- ^ a b c "Home Rooms". Seith Mann, Writ. Richard Price (story and teleplay), Ed Burns (story). The Wire. HBO. 2004-09-24. No. 03, season 4.
- ^ a b c Episode guide - episode 40 Home Rooms. HBO (2006). Retrieved on 2006-09-25.
- ^ a b c d e "Final Grades". Ernest Dickerson, Writ. David Simon (story and teleplay), Ed Burns (story). The Wire. HBO. 2004-12-10. No. 13, season 4.
- ^ a b c d e The Wire episode guide - episode 50 Final Grades. HBO (2006). Retrieved on 2007-10-17.
- ^ a b c d "More with Less". Joe Chappelle, Writ. David Simon (story and teleplay), Ed Burns (story). The Wire. HBO. 2008-01-06. No. 1, season 5.
- ^ a b c d The Wire episode guide - episode 51 More with Less. HBO (2008). Retrieved on 2008-01-22.
- ^ "Unconfirmed Reports". Ernest Dickerson, Writ. William F. Zorzi (story and teleplay), David Simon (story). The Wire. HBO. 2008-01-13. No. 2, season 5.
- ^ The Wire episode guide - episode 52 Uncomfirmed Reports. HBO (2008). Retrieved on 2008-01-22.
- ^ a b "Not for Attribution". Scott and Joy Kecken, Writ. Chris Collins (story and teleplay), David Simon (story). The Wire. HBO. 2008-01-20. No. 3, season 5.
- ^ a b The Wire episode guide - episode 53 Not for Attribution. HBO (2008). Retrieved on 2008-01-22.
- ^ a b c d e f "Transitions". Dan Attias, Writ. Ed Burns (story and teleplay), David Simon (story). The Wire. HBO. 2008-01-27. No. 4, season 5.
- ^ Character profile - Slim Charles. HBO (2006). Retrieved on 2006-09-15.
