Nat Ginzburg

Nathaniel "Nat/Natalie" Ginzburg is a fictional character on the HBO drama Oz portrayed by Charles Busch.

Character overview

A homosexual, HIV-positive inmate, Ginzburg is isolated from the general population in Oswald State Penitentiary's Unit F–the AIDS ward. While there he kills his cellmate, imprisoned Mafia boss Antonio Nappa, on the orders of Chucky Pancamo, then pleads guilty to murder, moving him to the prison's death row ward. When his disease worsens as his execution date approaches he notes that he did wonder what would kill him first, the disease or the state.

Season 3

Upon his arrival in the HIV/AIDs ward Ginzburg is placed in to the cell of mob boss Antonio Nappa, who was purposely given the disease by drug trade rival Simon Adebisi.^[1] Ginzburg originally finds Nappa homophobic, especially when he reveals that his name Nat is short for Natalie and not Nathaniel. Nonetheless, Nappa accepts Ginzburg's offer to be his assistant and secretary for Nappa's memoirs, a tell-all autobiography which "names names, places, felonies." Through the "gay gang" in Oswald's Emerald City, Ginzburg reports just how much Nappa is revealing to other imprisoned members of the Mafia.^[2] After consultation with the outside, the Mafia orders Nappa dead and Ginzburg is hired to do it, which he does by first drugging his meal then suffocating him with a pillow.^[3]

Season 4

Ginzburg pleads guilty to the murder and is moved to Shirley Bellinger's cell on death row. When Bellinger returns he refuses to give her her old cell back, leaving her to occupy the last of the four, the other ones being used by Moses Deyell, and Mark Miles.^[4] After Bellinger's execution, Deyell informs Dr. Gloria Nathan that Ginzburg's condition is worsening and no other doctor has been to see him. After an examination, she and Sister Peter Marie attempt to convince him to move back to the HIV/AIDs ward, but he refuses it.^[5]

Despite Sister Pete's opposition to the death penalty, she agrees to help Ginzburg speak to the lawyers about moving his execution date up, feeling in this case that ending Ginzburg's life would be an act of mercy. Ginzburg dresses like Susan Hayward for his execution, but when he's shaking too much to finish his nails he asks Sister Pete to do it for him. Though she tries, his illness makes it difficult and she insists he lie down and rest instead.^[6]

The next morning, as the officials arrive to take him to the gas chamber they find him dead, dying in his sleep of complications of HIV. Still, Sister Peter Marie finishes his nails post mortem.^[6]

References

1. ^ "Legs". writer: Tom Fontana, director: Keith Samples. Oz. HBO. 28 July 1999. No. 3, season 3.
2. ^ "Cruel and Unusual Punishment". writer: Tom Fontana, director: Terry Kinney. Oz. HBO. 16 August 1999. No. 6, season 3.
3. ^ "Secret Identities". writer: Tom Fontana, Sunil Nayar; director: Adam Bernstein. Oz. HBO. 25 August 1999. No. 7, season 3.
4. ^ "A Cock and Balls Story". writer: Tom Fontana, director: Adam Bernstein. Oz. HBO. 12 July 2000. No. 1, season 4.
5. ^ "Gray Matter". writer: Tom Fontana, director: Brian Cox. Oz. HBO. 9 August 2000. No. 5, season 4.
6. ^ ^{a b} "A Word to the Wise". writer: Tom Fontana, director: Keith Samples. Oz. HBO. 16 August 2000. No. 6, season 4.