Lenny Burrano

Lenny Burrano is a fictional character on the HBO drama "Oz", played by Skipp Sudduth.

Character overview

Burrano is an Italian-American lead investigator who previously served as a correctional officer.

eason 1

Burrano first appears in the second episode of the first season when he is appointed lead investigator in the murder of Dino Ortolani. He appears to be connected to the Mafia, and works hand in hand with whoever leads the Italian group in Oz (Nino Schibetta at first, then his son Peter, Antonio Nappa and ultimately Pancamo) and passes back and forth news between them and the mob family. However, Burrano keeps this connection secret to the rest of the staff as he does not want them to realize that he is assisting the inmates. When CO Lawrence Smith dies, Burrano condones the brutality at which the inmates randomly receive at the hands of the angered Officers. This causes disagreement with Tim McManus among others who push for the brutal COs to be reprimanded. When Smith's killer Donald Groves is sent to die at the hands of the firing squad, Burrano with his experience working in Utah prisons to instruct the COs of how to properly kill Groves.

eason 2

Nino Schibetta dies due to internal hemorraging and Burrano suspects but does not have proof that Black inmate Simon Adebisi is responsible for it. Nino's son Peter arrives in Oz where Burrano passes him information and orders from the "family." When Peter goes to the hospital for rat poisoning, Burrano explains to him that Nino was fed ground glass over a series of months by someone who was aware that Nino was careful to watch their every move. He then tells Peter that the family is disappointed in his leadership and will revoke him of it if he does not kill Adebisi who poisoned him and most likely killed his father. Peter then with Chucky Pancamo tries to kill Adebisi who beats Pancamo unconscious and rapes Schibetta putting Peter into a mentally unstable state. Burrano is then asked by new leader Antonio Nappa what Adebisi values most that Burrano points out as heroin and then asks him to have Warden Glynn conduct a "random" drug test to take Adebisi's heroin away from him. This works driving Adebisi crazy to the point that the other Blacks and Italians can successfully frame him for murder sending him to the psych ward. This is the last time Burrano is seen in the series.