Avon Barksdale

Infobox character
name = Avon Barksdale


current status = Incarcerated
age = 38 (DOB: 15th August 1970)
occupation = Prisoner/Former Drug kingpin
family = Brianna Barksdale (sister), D'Angelo Barksdale (nephew)
portrayer = Wood Harris
creator = David Simon
gender = Male
first = "The Target" "(episode 1.01)"
last = "Unconfirmed Reports" "(episode 5.02)"
cause = Incarcerated

Avon Randolph Barksdale is a fictional character on the HBO drama "The Wire" portrayed by actor Wood Harris. Avon is the top drug dealer of Baltimore's west side, running the Barksdale Organization. He runs the West Baltimore drug trade with total autonomy throughout the entire first season, until his arrest and incarceration in the finale (Sentencing). The second has him still with a hand in the organization, though not in the day to day affairs, which have been handed off to Stringer Bell. He's released from prison in the third season, but clashes with Stringer over how things should be run result in Stringer's death, the organization weakening, and Avon returning to jail.

Avon was counseled in his drug business by attorney Maurice Levy and assisted by his old friend and second-in-command Stringer Bell. Below Bell was a vast organization of young drug dealers, including Avon's sister Briana, and her son D'Angelo. He is interested only in controlling the drug distribution in Baltimore, accepting nothing less than absolute power, believing that control of territory is the key to this objective.

He can be described as hot-tempered and very concerned with his image on the street, quick to send send violent warnings to other crews. Still, he is shrewd and intuitive, though not as cerebral as Stringer.

Criminal organization

At the beginning of the series, Avon has control of the entire West Baltimore drug trade. 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 both isolated from the drugs, handling only money. Avon himself kept an extremely low profile, eschewing overt displays of wealth so as not to attract attention, avoiding being photographed, not having a driver's license, and owning nothing in his own name. He retained attorney Maurice Levy, who advised him on how to counter police investigations, 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, some of them receiving a percentage (points) of the profits for each package of narcotics sold. Beneath the lieutenants there was typically a second-in-command and below them 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, making it accessible to poorly educated drug dealers. Each pager-carrying member of the organization 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's main office was set up in his front organization, a strip club named Orlando's. It was here, behind a locked and heavily guarded door, that the drug money was counted and secured before being sent on to its ultimate destination. Avon usually conducted his business in this office, rarely venturing onto the street. The club's legal owner, Orlando Blocker, was kept away from the drugs in order to maintain the front's appearance of legitimacy for the city.

The organization laundered its profits through various fronts, including a funeral parlor, Orlando's, and a property developing company named B&B. They also invested in property, never actually using either Barksdale or Bell's names on official papers. They also made campaign contributions--and later bribes--to Senator Clay Davis, ostensibly for assistance in receiving developing contracts.

Biography

Early life

Born in 1970, 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. Avon is the son of Butch Stamford, though no father is listed on his birth certificate. Stamford was an infamous Baltimore criminal, whose name is known by both the police and other drug traffickers. Avon, a former amateur boxer who once fought in a Golden Gloves Tournament, 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.

eason One

Avon's errant nephew and lieutenant D'Angelo had murdered someone in public, so Avon had Stringer pay a witness, Nakeesha Lyles, to change her story in court. D'Angelo was acquitted, but Avon chastised him for costing the organization time and money, and demoted him from the 221 Tower into "The Pit" to replace Ronnie Mo, who had recently been promoted to his own tower. Avon also arranged for "Bird" Hilton to murder a second witness, William Gant, who he had been unable to intimidate or bribe. The body was left on display outside the 221 Tower, to send a message to people who might consider testifying. D'Angelo was shaken by the murder and began to have second thoughts about his life, but Avon persuaded him to remain loyal to the family.

Avon was angered when The Pit's stash was robbed by legendary Baltimore stick-up man Omar Little, and he placed a heavy bounty on Omar and his crew (nearly doubling it upon realizing Omar was a homosexual). Wee-Bey killed Bailey, a member of Omar's crew. Omar's lover Brandon was captured and tortured by Stringer, Wee-Bey, Bird and Stinkum. In response, Omar killed Stinkum and wounded Wee-Bey, culminating with a failed assassination attempt on Avon outside of Orlando's. Wee-Bey managed to save Avon at the last minute.

The Pit was also subject to raids which seized a second resupply of narcotics and arrested a carrier Kevin Johnston and a dealer Robert Browning. The police also seized an entire day's profits from Wee-Bey, totalling $22,000 dollars. They also briefly seized a payment on its way to State Senator Davis but were forced to return it because of his political influence. The robbery and police activity combined raised suspicion that there was a leak in the pit, and an increasingly paranoid Avon ordered D'Angelo to remove the pay phones (which had indeed been wiretapped).

Barksdale's front man Orlando had been trying to take part in the drug trade, and Avon felt obliged to beat him, warning him that the only reason he was front man was because he was clean. Orlando persisted in trying to go into the business for himself, and was arrested by an undercover state police officer. Avon promptly has his name removed from the club's license. Orlando agreed to aid the police in their investigation, and Avon sent Wee-Bey, Little Man and Savino 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 Greggs.

The shooting of a detective led to a massive crackdown from the police. Savino was forced to turn himself in, but faced a sentence of just three years because he was not directly implicated in the shooting. Avon and Stringer held a crisis meeting with attorney Maurice Levy, who advised them to remove any possible loose ends. Avon ordered several murders, including unreliable enforcer Little Man, Nakeesha Lyles and a young dealer from The Pit named Wallace.

Avon finally incriminated himself on a hidden camera in his office sending D'Angelo to pick up a package of drugs. He was arrested on charges of possession with intent to distribute, but as this was the only arrest he had ever incurred he was sentenced to a total of seven years with possibility of parole.

eason Two

Avon continued to run his organization from within the prison through Stringer. D'Angelo and Wee-Bey were imprisoned alongside 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 for the crime, he is due to be out of jail within a year. D'Angelo grows more distant from Avon, refusing to take part in the scheme, and seeming depressed, even turning to drug use. Without Avon's knowledge, Stringer has D'Angelo killed in a fake suicide.

Because Avon's arrest was closely followed by the arrest of one of their suppliers, they were suspicious that Avon might have named them to receive a lighter sentence, and the business relationship was brought to an end. 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 (which Stringer arranged, behind Avon's back), Avon reluctantly agreed to Stringer's proposal.

eason Three

Upon his release from prison, Avon is showered with gifts by Stringer: a nightclub, a penthouse apartment, expensive clothes, a new SUV. Avon, while appreciative of Stringer's largesse, is outraged that Stringer has let their control over their territory slip as much as it has, and gets involved in a gang war with up-and-coming Marlo Stanfield. Avon employed a woman named Devonne through Slim Charles to find Marlo. 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.

Avon and Stringer continue to clash over their leadership styles; Proposition Joe tells Stringer that he will withhold the quality product if Avon's war with Stanfield continues, but Avon believes that they will look weak. Stringer ultimately admits that he had D'Angelo killed for the good of the organization. He then gets in contact with Major Colvin and provides him with evidence against Avon. Meanwhile, Brother Mouzone returns to Baltimore and demand that Avon tell him where to find Stringer. Knowing it will mean his friend's death, Avon does so, and Mouzone (along with Omar) kill Stringer.

Avon was ultimately arrested again; based on evidence that Stringer provided, police raided Barksdale's wartime safehouse and were able to put weapons and conspiracy charges on all those present. Barksdale's presence at the time of the arrest constituted a parole violation which mandates serving the remaining five years of his seven year sentence. Barksdale's lieutenants claim ownership of all the weapons, suggesting that the state's attorney will have a difficult time pinning any further charges on him. At the montage at the end of season three, Barksdale sits at the defense table at a court room with all those apprehended during the bust sitting behind him. The shot has no dialog, so it is unclear just how long Barksdale would be in prison, but it cannot be less than five years, but it is said he received 25 years.

cite web
year = 2004
title = Org Chart - The Street
publisher = HBO
accessdate = 2006-03-29
url = http://www.hbo.com/thewire/orgchart/street.shtml]

cite web
year = 2004
title = Character profile - Avon Barksdale
publisher = HBO
accessdate = 2006-03-29
url = http://www.hbo.com/thewire/cast/characters/avon_barksdale.shtml]

eason Five

Marlo Stanfield arranged a meeting with former Greek soldier Sergei Malatov at the Jessup Correctional Facility in the hopes of contacting The Greeks and Spiros Vondas. When he arrived, Marlo was surprised to find Avon on the other side of the prison glass. Avon revealed that he was still a man with a formidable reputation in the prison, and that Sergei had approached him once he began receiving direct payments from Marlo in order to get on Sergei's visiting list. Avon explained that he had intuited Marlo's plan of using Sergei to contact Vondas. Avon stated that he agreed, philosophically, with Marlo's plan to get around Proposition Joe and the other Eastsiders and cut them out of the supply connection. Avon playfully espoused love for Westsiders and stated that he was prepared to let bygones be bygones in regards to his war with Stanfield. However, he informed Marlo that in order to gain access to Sergei, Marlo would have to pay Avon's sister one hundred thousand dollars. Marlo agreed, made the payment, and at his next visit to Jessup, Avon granted him access to Sergei. As Marlo and Sergei talked, Avon oversaw their meeting. Avon encouraged Sergei to co-operate with Marlo, asserting his authority within the prison.cite episode
title = Unconfirmed Reports
episodelink = Unconfirmed Reports
series = The Wire
serieslink = The Wire (TV series)
credits = Ernest Dickerson
writers = William F. Zorzi (story and teleplay), David Simon (story)
network = HBO
station =
city =
airdate = 2008-01-13
season = 5
number = 2]

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.cite web
author = Richard Vine
year = 2005
title = Totally Wired
publisher = The Guardian Unlimited
accessdate = 2006-07-19
url = http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/theguide/archives/tv_and_radio/2005/01/totally_wired.html] 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. [cite web
author = Jesse Walker
year = 2006
title = Localist Television
publisher = Reactionary Radicals
accessdate = 2006-07-22
url = http://www.reactionaryradicals.com/?p=88] In real life the Barksdale crew controlled the 1058 building (1058 Argyle Ave) in the Murphy Homes.

References