This article consists almost entirely of a plot summary and should be expanded to provide more balanced coverage that includes real-world context. Please edit the article to focus on discussing the work rather than merely reiterating the plot. (June 2011)

This article describes a work or element of fiction in a primarily in-universe style. Please help rewrite it to explain the fiction more clearly and provide non-fictional perspective. (June 2011)

Nickolas Andrew "Nick" Sobotka is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Pablo Schreiber. Nick is cousin to Ziggy Sobotka, the wayward and rebellious son to his uncle Frank Sobotka.

Plot details[link]

Season 2[link]

Nick is a dockworker, and works for his uncle Frank Sobotka, the secretary treasurer for the International Brotherhood of Stevedores. He often has to keep his cousin, Frank's son Ziggy out of trouble, to whom he shows considerable patience. Nick is much more cautious and level-headed than Ziggy, a fact his uncle appreciates. He is involved in his uncle's smuggling operation and often serves as Frank's go-between in meetings with Spiros "Vondas" Vondopoulos. He would meet with Vondas at the diner which serves as the Greek's "office." Vondas would give him the serial numbers of the cargo containers The Greek was bringing into the port, and Nick would convey this information to his uncle.

Nick has a girlfriend, Aimee, with whom he has a daughter, Ashley. They want to move in together, but they are unable to afford a place of their own; Nick lives with his parents and when she spends the night with him, she has to hide from them. Though Nick very much wants to settle down with her, his lack of steady income lead to tensions between them.

Since Nick is one of the younger stevedores, seniority prevents him from getting enough work at the docks. Desperate for cash, he and Ziggy stole a trailer full of cameras, which they sold to the Greek's front man, Glekas. This brought Nick to the attention of Vondas, who asked him if he could procure large quantities of certain chemicals. Ziggy was immediately interested, but Nick was more conscientious, fearing that the chemicals would be used to make bombs. After some research on the internet, he discovered that they would be used to process drugs and he agreed to the deal.

Ziggy is into drug dealing and invites Nick to join in, but at first Nick angrily refuses. Later, when Ziggy's ineptitude nearly cost him his life at the hands of Proposition Joe's nephew Cheese, Nick asked Vondas to intervene. Vondas sent Sergei "Serge" Malatov, who forced Cheese to back off at gunpoint. Sergei then helped Nick negotiate a settlement with Prop Joe himself.

When the two cousins brought Vondas the chemicals he had requested, Nick asked for payment half in cash, half in heroin. Since Ziggy had proved incompetent, he began selling the drugs to local dealers, with much more success than his cousin. He was spotted meeting with the dealer Frog by Herc and Carver, who were doing surveillance of drug dealers near the port. When the drugs he'd received for the chemicals ran out, Vondas put him in contact with "White" Mike McArdle, who became his new supplier of heroin.

Despite Nicky's disdain for Ziggy's ineptitude and antics, he seems to genuinely care for his younger cousin, to whom he treats like a little brother. Nick is distraught when Ziggy is arrested for killing Glekas. Knowing that Ziggy's stature and temperament make him ill-suited for prison, Nick descends into a drunken depression and tearfully laments the circumstances that landed Ziggy behind bars.

Eventually a warrant was issued for Nick's arrest. The police raided his parents' house shortly after Ziggy's arrest. Though Nick was not home, his parents were aghast when the police found Nick's stash of drugs and cash in the basement.

Later that day Vondas approached Nick with an offer to help Ziggy, in exchange for his and Frank's silence. The young Sobotka eagerly conveyed the offer to his uncle. Frank told Nick he would go see the Greek alone. Just before the meeting, the Greek learned from his FBI mole that Frank had offered to testify against him, so he had the elder Sobotka killed. A grieving Nick turned himself in to the police, agreeing to become a witness against the Greek and his gang. As his uncle had, he refused to incriminate members of his union. When Daniels's detail interrogated him he identified the Greek in a photograph, giving the detail its first picture of its main target.

At the end of season two, Nick, Aimee and Ashley entered federal witness protection. The last scene of the second season focuses on him looking at the decaying shipping shoreline from behind a chain-link fence. After shedding a few tears, he walks away on a sidewalk leading uphill. The scene symbolized the season's main theme, the death of blue-collar work in American industry.^[1]

Season 5[link]

Nick makes a brief appearance in season five, heckling Mayor Carcetti's ribbon-cutting ceremony for the conversion of the old Granary into condos and waterfront commercial space instead of the docks for which his uncle Frank had hoped. This, together with the appearance of another former dockworker in a homeless encampment earlier in the season, suggests that the Port of Baltimore was continuing job cuts between the end of season two and the beginning of season five. No information about Nick's life since the end of season two was provided, although Simon has since said that Nick left the witness protection program after missing his friends and family, as many who are enrolled in the witness protection program do.^[2]

References[link]

Joseph "Proposition Joe" Stewart (often referred to as Prop Joe) is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire played by actor Robert F. Chew. Joe is an Eastside drug kingpin who preferred a peaceful solution to business disputes when possible. He was responsible for creating the lucrative New Day Co-Op with Stringer Bell, supplying much of Baltimore with heroin brought into the city by "The Greeks". Joe was a portly and amiable presence, but was often a match in wits for rival drug lords Avon Barksdale and Marlo Stanfield and was able to manipulate most situations to his advantage. His nickname stemmed from his trademark phrase "I've got a proposition for you," going back to his days on the school yard selling test answers. He has the distinction, along with Poot Carr and Wee-Bey Brice, of being one of the few characters from the drug trade to appear in every season and the only drug kingpin to do so.

Biography[link]

Season one[link]

Joe first appears at an annual basketball game, the Eastside Projects' team versus the Westside Projects. Joe plays on Avon Barksdale's pride, goading him into doubling their wager on the outcome, then bringing in a ringer at the last minute to win the game. That same day, he is visited by stick-up-man Omar Little, who gives Joe some of the Barksdale Organization's stolen narcotics in exchange for Barksdale's pager number. Omar uses the information in an unsuccessful attempt on Barksdale's life but Joe's role in Omar's attack is never revealed to Barksdale. Joe later serves as a neutral go-between, organizing a meeting between Barksdale's business partner Stringer Bell and Omar to discuss a truce.

Season two[link]

In season two, Joe's role is expanded, and it is revealed that Joe relies on the Greek's smuggling ring to supply him with Heroin throght the Baltimore ports , joe says that he still has to source his cocaine from New York as the Greeks only deal in Heroin. Joe accommodates Nick Sobotka at the request of Sergei "Serge" Malatov to resolve a dispute over a bad drug deal between Ziggy Sobotka and Joe's nephew and lieutenant Calvin "Cheese" Wagstaff. Out of respect to Malatov, Joe helps the Sobotkas reclaim money that Cheese stole from Ziggy.

Joe's heroin supply is the purest in Baltimore, but he lacks the territory to maximize profits. Due to Avon Barksdale's arrest, the Barksdale Organization is cut off from their Dominican suppliers and is forced to sell weaker heroin. Joe offers Stringer Bell a portion of his product in exchange for the right to deal drugs in some of the Barksdale-controlled towers. Barksdale vehemently rejects the idea, but Bell secretly agrees and Cheese's crew moves in to what was previously Barksdale territory. Barksdale is unaware of Bell's move and brings in Brother Mouzone to protect the towers. Mouzone confronts Cheese and wounds him with a non-fatal gunshot. Joe fears Mouzone's reputation and knows it would be a mistake to attack him directly. Joe sets up a meeting between Bell and Omar Little, and Bell tricks Omar into shooting Mouzone. This elaborate deception achieves the shared goals of Joe and Bell: it drives Mouzone back to New York and forces Barksdale to grudgingly agree to the drugs-for-territory exchange with arch-rival Joe.

Season three[link]

Joe insulates himself against police investigation by maintaining a strict policy of only meeting face to face. His nephew "Drac" is targeted as a potential inroad for an investigation by Lieutenant Cedric Daniels' major crimes unit, due to his propensity to talk business over the phone. Daniels' unit arrests Joe's lieutenant Lavelle Mann in an undercover bust operation, hoping that Drac would be promoted to replace him. However Joe chooses someone more reliable, thwarting the unit's efforts inadvertently. Daniels tips his hand when he arrests Cheese, believing that he had him on tape discussing a murder. Cheese realizes that the tape is of him talking about shooting his pet dog, and the police are forced to release him. He reports the incident to Joe who is thus forewarned about the investigation, and passes the information on to Stringer Bell. The unit moves their investigation away from Joe and onto the more violent Kintel Williamson when they fail to make further progress.

Joe extends the sharing of his supply to many other drug dealers in Baltimore, forming the New Day Co-Op with Bell, Ricardo "Fat-Face Rick" Hendrix and Kintell Williamson, among others. He supplies all of these drug dealers with his package, and they receive a discount for the bulk buying; they also agree to avoid bringing unnecessary police attention by limiting violence. Because of this, Williamson stops killing people, and the police begin investigating a brewing turf war between Avon Barksdale and up-and-coming Marlo Stanfield.

Joe and the rest of the Co-Op object to the police attention the war creates, as it interferes with their business. Joe meets with Stanfield's advisor Vinson to try to negotiate a settlement, but Stanfield is unwilling to back out of the war, believing that Barksdale is weak. Joe gives Bell an ultimatum - end the war or he will be thrown out of the Co-Op. The ultimatum is defused when Bell is murdered, and Barksdale is arrested, leaving Joe with complete control of the Co-Op.^[1]

Season four[link]

Joe recruits former Barksdale Organization soldier Slim Charles as his lieutenant to supply the independent dealers that have arisen to replace the Barksdale organization in Western Baltimore. However, problems arise; Marlo Stanfield has taken control of much of the Barksdales' prime territory, and the New York drug organizations are taking over territory in Eastern Baltimore. The Co-Op votes to negotiate with Stanfield and recruit him to strike back against the New York drug dealers.

Joe contacts Stanfield, who turns down his first offer. Joe manipulates Omar Little again, inducing him to rob a card game which Stanfield attends, by pretending that he wanted to make amends for his involvement in the Stringer Bell/Brother Mouzone incident. After Omar robs the card game, Joe offers Stanfield another meeting and claims he could protect him against such surprises in the future. Joe also explains that he has contacts within the Baltimore police department and courts. Joe routinely shares information about police activity with other Co-Op members. Although much of his information is actually public record, Joe is also aware of the case against Kintel Williamson that was suspended and inconclusive. Stanfield agrees to work with the Co-Op. With Stanfield's help, the New York dealers are driven out of Baltimore. Joe also offers Stanfield advice on how to deal with a police surveillance camera, discovers the identity of the unit investigating Stanfield and tries to encourage Stanfield's transition into being less violent and more business-minded.

Stanfield frames Omar for murder and plans to have him killed while in prison. Omar escapes the charges and plots revenge on Stanfield. Omar forces Joe (at gunpoint) to agree to betray Stanfield, but Omar ultimately double-crosses Joe and steals an entire Co-Op shipment as it is delivered. The Co-Op decides that Joe should cover the expense of replacing it, and Joe threatens to cut them off from his supplier, forcing them to back down. Omar returns to sell the shipment back to Joe for 20 cents on the dollar; Joe, ever the opportunist, informs the Co-Op that the price is 30 cents on the dollar, allowing Joe to recoup some of the losses from the theft.

Stanfield is perturbed by the robbery and suspects that Cheese, who was responsible for collecting the shipment, was involved. To protect his nephew Joe is forced to reveal his suppliers' identity and arrange for Stanfield to meet with Spiros "Vondas" Vondopoulos. At the end of the season, Joe and the rest of the New Day Co-Op resume business as usual, but have put a bounty on Omar's head.^[2]

Season five[link]

The fifth season opens over a year later. Joe's advice has allowed Marlo Stanfield to successfully avoid prosecution despite an ongoing major case unit investigation. Joe finds that he is losing territory in the redevelopment and gentrification of Eastern Baltimore and proposes a division of new territory in Baltimore County to compensate the East side drug dealers. Stanfield objects and then sows the seed of dissent in Joe's organization by suggesting that Joe should allow Joe's lieutenants to manage the new territory.^[3][4]

Stanfield approaches Joe for assistance with money laundering and obtaining literally clean bills. Joe claims that he is happy to help and puts Stanfield in touch with several of his contacts. Joe uses a pastor with charitable organizations abroad to launder money - he makes "donations" to the charity and then receives 90% of his funds back as cashier's cheques. Joe introduces Stanfield to a pastor who can provide the same service. But privately Joe describes "civilizing" Stanfield as an ongoing uphill struggle. Stanfield is concerned about having his money in foreign banks and Joe helps him to obtain a passport to visit the bank. Stanfield also requests clean bills from Joe and is accommodated. Joe is unaware that Stanfield is using the money to pay tribute to The Greek and is plotting to usurp his supply connection. Stanfield also hopes to get revenge on the now retired Omar Little while Joe is happy to have escaped further involvement. Stanfield offers a bounty on anyone connected to Omar but Joe does not reveal Omar's connection to Butchie. However, Cheese betrays Joe for the reward and Stanfield has his enforcers murder Butchie.^[5][6]

Joe fears reprisal from Omar and decides to leave town. He arranges for Slim Charles to watch Cheese closely as he suspects his betrayal. Joe arranges flowers for Butchie's funeral both as a gesture to his friend and to signal to Omar his innocence in the murder. Cheese has created a feud with Co-Op kingpin Hungry Man over the new county territory and Joe publicly reprimands his nephew. Stanfield gets the agreement of The Greek that he will consider him an insurance policy if Joe is unable to continue to handle their supply. Stanfield then seizes on Cheese's feud with Hungry Man to convince him to betray Joe. Cheese gives Joe up as he is packing to leave town. Stanfield corners Joe in his home, and Joe correctly guesses that Cheese betrayed him. Stanfield rejects Joe's final proposition of disappearing quietly, and has Chris Partlow shoot Joe while he watches.^[7]

Joe went to school at Dunbar High School with former Police Commissioner Ervin Burrell. Prop Joe says this to Herc who is working for Maury Levy at the time.

Production[link]

Actor Robert F. Chew appeared in David Simon's previous series Homicide: Life on the Street, in the three part episode "Blood Ties", playing Wilkie Collins, a drug kingpin who hates violence. Collins provides the police with key information about which drug dealer was shooting at them so that the police would not interfere with his business. Collins and his wife are subsequently murdered by the Mahoney drug cartel for his betrayal. His young son witnesses their deaths and helps the police arrest their murderer. Chew also had a small role in Simon's HBO mini-series The Corner in which he played a shoe salesman.

References[link]

Francis "Frank" Sobotka is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Chris Bauer.

Biography[link]

Frank is a respected Polish-American secretary treasurer for the International Brotherhood of Stevedores at the Baltimore docks (Local 47). As the pater familias for the docks' longshoremen population, it is his job to manage the finances of the union and make sure that the workers are taken care of - a task made harder by the decline of Baltimore's shipping industry and the lack of available hours.

Desperate to return prosperity to the docks, Frank begins making overtures to lobbyists and politicians to support initiatives that will make the port a more attractive shipping location. His two main objectives are to have the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal dredged to increase the depth for incoming ships, and to re-open the grain pier. Bruce DiBiago, an old friend and lobbyist, serves as go-between for Sobotka and politicians such as Senator Clay Davis.

In order to obtain the necessary funds for paying the bribes, Sobotka makes an arrangement with Eastern European gangsters "The Greek" and Spiros "Vondas" Vondopoulos to smuggle illegal goods through the port. Ships with contraband such as drugs and prostitutes will be tagged by Frank's union cohort Thomas "Horseface" Pakusa, with the crates disappearing in the computer system and driven out by the Greek's man Sergei "Serge" Malatov. Frank's nephew Nick Sobotka, another union member, acts as go-between for his uncle and Vondas by passing messages and delivering lists of containers to be moved. Unbeknownst to Frank, his troubled son, Chester "Ziggy" Sobotka, often accompanies Nick to these meetings.

Frank's criminal activities begin to be suspected by the police following a feud with Major Stanislaus Valchek, whose gift of a stained glass window to a local church has been eclipsed by Sobotka's more elaborate window (a move to have the priest get Frank closer to a senator in his congregation). Suspicious of how a longshoreman could have so much disposable income, Valchek manages to persuade Deputy Commissioner Ervin Burrell to assemble a detail to investigate Sobotka's activities. The investigation gains further traction with the discovery of 13 dead girls in a shipping container ("can"), who turn out to be prostitutes smuggled in by the Greek.

Frank is enraged that human smuggling is taking place in his port, and threatens Vondas, demanding that no other live containers come through. With detectives asking questions about the dead girls, some strange goings-on with his cell-phone, and his own suspicions about his friend Officer Russell's involvement in the case, Frank becomes increasingly nervous. He demands to meet The Greek and tells him he wants out. The Greek, who needs Frank's system, objects. Nick then asks for more money for them to take on the extra risk. The Greek and Frank agree to this arrangement - Frank needs the money — but Frank is ever more uneasy, and his world proceeds to unravel.

Towards the end of the season, Frank is arrested on smuggling charges after the detail is pressured into making arrests (around the same time, his son Ziggy is also arrested for the murder of a local fence). Valchek personally escorts a compliant Frank out of the union hall in handcuffs, and the resulting media attention leads lawmakers to cut their ties. With his efforts to save the port sunk, and his family facing legal charges (Ziggy for murder, Nick for selling drugs), Sobotka decides to accept the advice of Beadie Russell and turn informant on The Greek.

However, before passing information to the police, The Greek arranges for a meeting to be held, in which Frank will be offered a deal envisaged by Spiros. The deal would exchange Frank's loyalty and silence about the criminal activity at the port for Spiros's assurance that the State's witness in his son's murder prosecution would testify that the shooting occurred in self defense. However, this attempt to secure Frank's loyalty to The Greek's organization is scuppered at the last moment, when the Greek is tipped off by his inside man in the FBI that Sobotka has scheduled a proffer session with police, in which he will inform on the Greek. The last the audience sees of Frank alive is during the closing moments of the penultimate episode of the second season - as the screen fades out we see him walking resolutely beneath a bridge to the rendezvous with The Greek, in a final effort to save his son.^[1][2]

The following day Frank's body is found in the harbor, with multiple stab wounds and his throat cut. Detectives remark that numerous defensive wounds indicate he died fighting. It is implied that Spiros slit Frank's throat, echoing a murder earlier in the season. After his death, his fellow longshoremen, in tribute to Frank, re-elect him as treasurer in defiance of federal warnings, which leads to the dissolution of his local union office.

The Wire has been described as an examination of how the failure, amorality, and corruption within institutions eventually destroy the essentially decent individuals involved with them;^[3] within the series Frank Sobotka has come to be the classic epitome of such an individual.

References[link]

Chester Karol "Ziggy" Sobotka is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor James Ransone. Though his father Frank Sobotka was a well-respected stevedore union leader, Ziggy's often reckless and juvenile behavior gained him little respect among other members of the union and The Greek's crime organization.

Biography[link]

Ziggy is Frank Sobotka's son and Nick's cousin. Ziggy was a dock worker in his father's stevedores union, but he was also involved in criminal activity. Like most of the port workers, Ziggy frequented Delores' bar, where he amuses the other customers with his drunken antics. He was known for publicly exposing himself. His work on the docks was often poor and his father would regularly fire him and then reinstate him. Due to his lack of seniority, Ziggy received little work. He is often portrayed as a clumsy and inept beneficiary of his father's hard work and stewardship of the union who is more interested in goofing off than working hard. He is close to his older cousin Nick, who often bails him out when his various money-making schemes backfire. Despite his shortcomings, however, he has a better understanding of technology than many of his colleagues. He uses his computer research skills to assist Nick in his dealings with the Greeks.

Ziggy had been dealing drugs supplied by "White" Mike McArdle for some time. He sold them at street level using an East side dealer known as Frog. Ziggy had trouble intimidating Frog and often came up short with the money from his packages. Frog would keep the money and tell Ziggy he had been robbed. Eventually, White Mike refused to supply Ziggy with further drugs because he knew that he was not a sound investment.

Ziggy often tried to convince his more streetwise cousin Nick Sobotka into joining him in his drug dealing enterprise but Nick refused. When Ziggy suggested that they steal a container of digital cameras from the docks, Nick was more accepting. They worked alongside their friend Johnny "Fifty" Spamanto, a checker, to move the container through the port. Ziggy and Nick visited George "Double G" Glekas, a front man for an international smuggling operation that the Sobotka family had been working with, to offer him the container. Ziggy's research about the street value of the cameras allowed Nick to negotiate a better deal with Glekas. Ziggy upset Glekas by taking his photo with one of the cameras during the meeting and Glekas angrily snatched it from Ziggy and smashed it on the floor.

Ziggy also accompanied Nick to a meeting to discuss Frank's smuggling of containers through the docks. Ziggy's chatter embarrassed Nick and he vowed not to take him again. The Greeks asked Nick to obtain shipments of chemicals through his work at the port. Unsure what the chemicals would be used for, fearing they may be used for terrorism, Nick was reluctant to get involved. Ziggy used his share of the money from the stolen cameras to buy a new leather coat and Nick chastised him for flashing his newfound wealth. Nick also chastised him for talking to everyone about being paid and flashing his money around the bar.

Ziggy turned to a drug dealer named Cheese for a fresh supply. Cheese was a lieutenant in "Proposition" Joe Stewart's network of drug dealers, who we find out in later seasons is Prop Joe's nephew. Ziggy continued to use Frog and again came up short on his profits (Frog deliberately shorts him) and found himself unable to pay Cheese back. Cheese was more brutal than White Mike and delivered a swift beating to Ziggy and stole his prized car (a Camaro which Ziggy called "Princess"). Cheese threatened to kill Ziggy if he was not able to pay by the end of the week. Nick and La La, a friend from the union, visited Cheese on Ziggy's behalf hoping to bargain the value of the car that Cheese had taken against Ziggy's debt. They found that Cheese had burned the car and was now asking for more money but willing to give Ziggy a little more time. Ziggy was distraught when he heard this news.

Nick went to the Greeks to ask for help with the problem. He found that they were the suppliers of Proposition Joe's entire operation and were able to negotiate with him directly. Nick attended a sit-down with Joe on Ziggy's behalf. Because of their association with the Greeks, Joe agreed to give Ziggy compensation for the car minus the original debt he owed.

Ziggy helped Nick to research the chemical the Greeks were looking for and found that they were used in the processing of cocaine. Reassured with this knowledge, Nick decided to go ahead and steal them as asked. After Nick and Ziggy delivered the chemicals they were offered payment in either narcotics or cash. Knowing the street value of the narcotics was greater, Ziggy pushed for drugs. Nick opted to receive half in cash and half in heroin. Nick kept Ziggy out of dealing with the drugs due to his previous ineptitude. Nick took them to Frog himself. He faithfully delivered a share of the profits to Ziggy each week. Ziggy's pride was hurt by Nick sidelining him and his inability to match his cousin's success. Ziggy dramatically refused his share of the money, tossing it onto the street from Nick's newly purchased truck (bought with his share of the drug profits).

Ziggy had a long running feud with a dock worker named Maui. Maui took issue with Ziggy stealing from the docks and confronted him; intentionally spilling coffee on the coat that Ziggy had purchased with the money from the stolen cameras. Ziggy responded by replacing Maui's desktop image with pictures of his genitalia. In retaliation Maui faked a paternity lawsuit against Ziggy, which drove him to a drinking binge. Nick realized that the letter Ziggy had received from a law firm was false and identified Maui as the culprit. Urged on by La La and other stevedores, Ziggy attacked Maui while working at the docks. He was easily overcome by his much larger opponent, and as a result of the fight, Ziggy was forced to endure another indignity; Maui used a fork lift truck to strand Ziggy on top of a stack of containers.

Ziggy purchased a pet duck and bought it a diamond necklace (again showing that he is making money). He took it to Delores' bar pretending it was a seeing eye fowl. He was compelled to provide the duck with saucers of liquor, claiming that it "Could drink like a stevedore." The duck died at the bar, driving Ziggy into another depressive episode. When Nick approached Ziggy outside the bar, Ziggy attacked his cousin.

Ziggy began smuggling cars with Johnny Fifty. He offered to supply them to Glekas, who reluctantly agreed to participate. Ziggy faked the theft of their cars to look like an outside job by cutting a hole in the port fence, and making a track across a grassy area. Rather than using these constructions, he drove the cars into containers to be delivered to Glekas's customers overseas. When Ziggy delivered the cars, Glekas refused to pay him the agreed sum and Ziggy flew into a rage. Glekas beat Ziggy and threw him out of his warehouse. This was the last indignity Ziggy could endure; he took a gun from his car and shot Glekas and a boy working at Glekas's electronics store, killing Glekas and badly wounding the boy. Horrified at his own actions, Ziggy was unable to drive away and broke down in tears.

He was picked up by Sergeant Landsman of the homicide unit and gave a full confession to the murder. Frank visited Ziggy in prison and apologized for not doing more to help his son. Ziggy told Frank that the union had always come before him, harkening back towards the memories they had shared previously on the docks. Ziggy was convicted of the murder and was last seen serving out his sentence.^[1]

Origins[link]

The actor who portrays Ziggy, James Ransone, is a Baltimore native and has described the character as representative of the difficulties people face just trying to get by in Baltimore. The character's creators have deemed him "the angry prince of goofs."^[2]

In an online interview David Simon stated that Ziggy is loosely based on a real stevedore named Pinkie Bannion whose antics have become a local legend around the docks. According to Simon, Bannion "used to take his duck to the bar and repeatedly expose 'pretty boy' and all else. As they said in Bawlmer about Pinkie: 'That boy ain't right.'"^[3]

References[link]