Baltimore

History of the Top Baltimore Kingpins

The city of Baltimore has been in the light for the past decades, due to the success from the hit HBO series “The Wire.” A city of both high crime and high poverty rates, together with the publicizing of police brutality and local political corruption, the streets within the Baltimore ghetto have become well known over the years.

As mentioned, many were first introduced to the streets of Baltimore through David Simon’s “The Wire.” Viewers were able to witness a fictional and fabrication of what life was like growing up in the streets and urban community of Baltimore, from policing, to politics, to lifestyles, to a look inside the dealings of Baltimore kingpins.

Brief History of Baltimore

While the city’s black population is well dispersed throughout the city, like South Baltimore’s Cherry Hill and Brooklyn, or East Baltimore from East Monument to Northeast’s Ramblewood, West Baltimore has historically been the heart of the city.

One of the oldest black populations in the country has been in the city of Baltimore since the 1800s, and has been constantly growing year by year ever since. The city’s African American population began as newly arrivals were provided opportunities to work in the local Baltimore shipyards.

Originally the city’s black population made their home in a small section of East Baltimore. As the black population grew, African Americans began to reside in neighborhoods of West Baltimore, mostly between North Avenue and Edmondson.

Eventually, Pennsylvania Avenue and Edmondson would become the heart of Baltimore’s black culture as many lived in neighborhoods like Sandtown, the Bottom, and Upton.

During the 1950s and 1960s, integration and the desegregating of Baltimore’s communities eventually gave the opportunity for African Americans to be able to move out of the small segregated sections of East and West Baltimore.

Short Timeline of Baltimore Kingpins

From the West Side to the East Side, the city has had numerous Baltimore kingpins and street legends, some would later become fictional characters for the hit television show “The Wire”, to go along with some of the once notorious housing projects that were the center of many operations.

Watching “The Wire” gives an example of the streets of the Baltimore ghetto and the once Baltimore kingpins of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, but only in a modern-day perspective. The use of heroin during the 1970s transformed into the use crack cocaine in the 1980s and 1990s, and once again resorting back to heroin and opioids as of the 2000s. Each era was different, the 1970s was more a chain of command and only chosen few were involved, to the 1990s was the rise of violence, people standing on the corner and when many were involved.

Top Baltimore Kingpins

Melvin Williams

Melvin Williams, known as “Little Melvin,” was a notorious figure in the Baltimore drug trade during the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s. He rose to prominence by establishing a lucrative operation, which at its peak brought in millions of dollars. Williams’ time in the streets led to several incarcerations, and it was during one of these stints in prison that he reportedly transformed his life. He was featured in “The Wire” where he played the role of a deacon, an ironic twist given his past as a kingpin. 

Nathan ‘Bodie’ Barksdale

Nathan ‘Bodie’ Barksdale was a notorious figure in Baltimore’s drug scene, although his life gained wider public attention when it was suggested that his story partially inspired the character of Avon Barksdale in the television series “The Wire.” However, the show’s creators have noted that the series was not directly based on his life and that any similarities are only part of a richer tapestry of Baltimore’s drug history. Nevertheless, the real Barksdale was a significant figure in the 1980s and his legacy is one enveloped in the violence and the street code that governed the operations of drug kingpins of the time.

Rudy Williams

Linwood Rudy Williams, Melvin’s younger brother, was also heavily involved in the Baltimore drug scene. Operating mainly during the 1980s, Linwood Rudy Williams inherited the family business and became known for his violent approach to maintaining control over his territory. Like his brother, Linwood’s criminal ventures resulted in convictions and prison time, highlighting the familial trend in the drug trade during that era. 

Anthony Jones

Anthony Jones was another prominent Baltimore drug lord whose influence peaked in the 1980s. His operations in the city’s Murphy Homes public housing complex were well known to law enforcement and the local community. Jones’ rise to power was marked by the standard trappings of the drug trade: wealth, violence, and eventually, the law catching up. His eventual arrest and conviction were part of a larger crackdown on narcotics trafficking in Baltimore during a time when the city was grappling with high crime rates and the proliferation of drugs.

Warren Boardley

Warren Boardley steps into the Baltimore drug trade narrative a bit later than the Williams brothers and Jones, but his story is no less significant. Active primarily in the early 1990s, Boardley’s involvement in the drug trade ended with his cooperation with authorities, providing information that led to the indictments of several other drug dealers. This act of turning informant for the government earned him a substantial reduction in his own sentence, but also marked him within the Baltimore underworld. 

Peanut King

Peanut King was a renowned and powerful drug lord in Baltimore during the late 1970s and early ’80s. He built a significant heroin distribution empire and lived a life marked by luxury and excess, indicative of his success in the narcotics trade. However, his reign was cut short by law enforcement, and in 1985, he was sentenced to life in prison without parole following a massive federal investigation named “Operation Peanut King,” which sought to dismantle his extensive operation. 

Marlow Bates

Marlow Bates was a significant figure in the Baltimore drug trade, particularly noted for his activities in the 1980s. As with many kingpins of his era, Bates’ operations included large-scale distribution , contributing to the city’s struggle with drug-related crime and violence. Bates was part of the legacy of drug lords who have made a profound impact on the social fabric of Baltimore throughout the decades, but eventually facing the consequences of high-level trafficking charges and harsh penalties.

Timmirror Stanfield

Timmirror Stanfield found success in the streets during the late 1980s and early 1990s. His operation was known for its organization and the control over certain areas of the city. Stanfield was reputed to run a disciplined organization, mirroring the corporate structures of legitimate businesses. Balitmore kingpins like Stanfield have frequently been depicted in popular media for their complex mix of business and street conduct, which most notably inspired elements of the Stanfield Organization in “The Wire.”

Tommy Lee Canty

Tommy Lee Canty gained notoriety in Baltimore as a drug kingpin during the 1980s. Operating within the narcotics trade, Canty became a central figure in the city’s heroin market. As is common with such figures, his influence extended into the community, wielding both economic and, at times, violent power. His criminal endeavors inevitably put him in the crosshairs of law enforcement officials who were actively seeking to dismantle such operations as part of the broader war on drugs. Ultimately, Canty’s reign in the narcotics trade led to his arrest and conviction.

Garnett Smith

Garnett Smith was one of the biggest Baltimore kingpins to come out of the city, with a trafficking network that extended beyond Maryland into states like California and Texas. His rise to prominence peaked in the early 1990s when his organization was responsible for distributing massive amounts in the streets. Smith was known for his lavish lifestyle, which included luxury cars and jewelry, often flaunted as signs of his wealth. He was eventually brought down by a federal investigation that targeted trafficking operations across the country, and received a life sentence for his crimes.

Rice Brothers

The Rice Brothers, known as “Little” Melvin and Howard “Wee” Rice, were influential in West Baltimore. The siblings ran a notorious operation that wielded significant power in the 1980s and early 90s. Characteristic of kingpins of their time, their names became synonymous with the street-level economy that law enforcement agencies were desperately trying to curb. The Rice Brothers’ activities led to standoffs with legal authorities, resulting in arrests and convictions.

In “The Wire,” figures such as Marlo Stanfield and Avon Barksdale represent the brutal control of the narcotics business within the ghettos of Baltimore. However, as previously noted in this article, the depiction of the 1970s marked the early phase of street life in East and West Baltimore neighborhoods, and did not align with the streets of modern day Baltimore.

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4 Map of New York City Hoods & Gangs

*Note: All information is provided through people of the community, outside sources, and research. Some information might not be current and/or 100% accurate.