Melvin williams cause of death
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Melvin Williams, Actor and Inspiration for ‘The Wire,’ Dies at 73
Melvin Williams, the one-time Baltimore drug kingpin whose transformation helped inspire David Simon’s HBO series “The Wire,” died Thursday at University of Maryland Medical Center, according to the Baltimore Sun. He was 73.
Williams had a recurring role in later seasons of the show in the role of Deacon, a street-wise and compassionate clergyman who sought to help drug dealers and youth caught up in the violence of West Baltimore.
Williams is said to have been the inspiration for Avon Barksdale, “Wire’s” fictional drug lord whose saga dominated the first three seasons of the show that ran from 2002 to 2008. Williams served several years in federal prison on drug charges, but disavowed crime and worked with local pastors and youth after his release.
Simon on Thursday tweeted a picture of Williams, calling him the man “who made me begin to rethink the drug war. You ended it free, brother.”
During his tenure as a Baltimore Sun crime reporter, Si
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Little Melvin Williams – one of the inspirations for The Wire – dies at age 73
Little Melvin Williams – one of the many real people to inspire The Wire – has died at age 73.
Williams was a reformed drug trafficker, who was once one of the most powerful figures in the Baltimore crime scene in the 1970s and 1980s.
Little Melvin's criminal exploits were the basis for The Wire's Avon Barksdale, the Wood Harris character who ruled the streets with an iron fist.
In real life, Williams later turned to acting by playing a good-hearted deacon on The Wire.
The Wire creator David Simon marked Williams's death on Twitter, writing: "RIP to Melvin "Little Melvin" Williams, 73, who made me begin to rethink the drug war. You ended it free, brother.
"Seeing this up on the web? Damn, I'm old. RIP, Melvin. Thanks for the access and insights. You ended the run free."
Aside from The Wire, Williams was also profiled on American Gangster and had aspects of his life fictionalised in Barry Levinson's 1999 drama Liberty Heights.
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Melvin Williams Biography, Life, Interesting Facts
Melvin Williams was a Baltimore drug baron, who later reformed to fight the same trade that made him rich and famous.
Early Life
Melvin Douglas Williams, whose alias was Little Melvin, was born on 14 December 1941 in Baltimore. He grew up on Madison Avenue with his father who was a taxi driver and his mother a burse. Williams went to Garnet Elementary School. He then graduated to join Frederick Douglas High School. He later transferred to City College. Williams did not graduate from high school.
His mother who was an avid gambler introduced Williams to the street life. In a little while, he had mastered the art of gambling in the pool table or casino halls. The money that was coming his way pushed him to abandon his studies. He concentrated on making money on the streets. He was extremely good at it.
When street riots erupted after the killing of Martin Luther King, Williams then 26 years, was already on the police radar. As the protests persisted, the police turned to the same man they were investigating. Williams
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