The Greeks of The Wire
On the fictional TV series The Wire, a man known only as The Greek leads a criminal organization only known as The Greeks. The organization is introduced in Season Two as a mysterious and powerful criminal syndicate. Based in Highlandtown in Southeastern Baltimore, a predominantly Greek neighborhood of the city, the organization pay off the I.B.S. dock workers to facilitate the importation and distribution of drugs and illegal goods through the port. They are a tangential part of the Major Case Unit's investigation in season two, but the organization's leaders escape capture due to connections to the FBI. The Greeks return to Baltimore at the end of Season Four and by Season Five have resumed business with the various other drug organizations in Baltimore. Compared to other antagonist groups of later seasons, however, The Greek's organization survives largely intact, due to their extreme caution, business acumen, and avoidance of publicity or any street-level dealings.
The following is a list of characters associated with that organization.
The Greek
Boss of an organized crime outfit who shrewdly avoids any police investigation and always puts business first. In the final episode of Season 2, it is implied that he is not actually Greek.
Spiros "Vondas" Vondopoulos
The second-in-command of an international organized crime organization known as "The Greeks."
Sergei "Serge" Malatov
Sergei Malatov (Ukrainian: Сергій Малатов) is a trusted lieutenant in The Greek's nefarious import business. He is Ukrainian, although Americans often assume he is Russian. He hates this and their subsequent tendency to nickname him "Boris" (based on Boris Badenov).
Eton Ben-Eleazer
- Played by: Lev Gorn
- Appears in season two: "All Prologue"; "Stray Rounds"; "Storm Warnings"; "Bad Dreams" and "Port in a Storm".
Born in Israel, Eton Ben-Eleazer (Hebrew: איתן בן אליעזר) is a top lieutenant of the Greek's crime organization in charge of Drug Distribution in Baltimore that supplied narcotics to smaller drug organizations such as Proposition Joe, "White" Mike McArdle and Petey Dixon. He is arrested on a weapons charge and charged with racketeering and drug trafficking following the detail's investigation of smuggling through the Baltimore docks. He is last seen on trial with Horseface.
George "Double G" Glekas
- Played by: Teddy Cañez
- Appears in season two: "Ebb Tide"; "Hot Shots";"Hard Cases"; "Duck and Cover"; "Stray Rounds" and "Storm Warnings".
George Alexander Glekas (Greek: Γιώργος Αλέξανδρος Γλεκας; February 18, 1960 - 2003) runs a warehouse and appliance store for The Greek under the name Pyramid Industries and acts as the organization's fence. Glekas often gets advice from Spiros "Vondas" Vondopoulos on important deals. The retail store he owns was used as a front to move their stolen goods from the docks.
Prior to appearing in the series Glekas had been charged with fencing stolen goods in San Diego, but the case was dropped for lack of evidence. Glekas was indicted in the smuggling investigation but was not arrested because he was shot and killed by Ziggy Sobotka in a dispute over payment for a stolen car smuggling deal. Ziggy confesses to the murder and was shown serving time for the crime.
References
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