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Donnie Andrews dead: Man who inspired Omar from ‘The Wire’ dies at 58 (1365 hits)

Donnie Andrews, the Baltimore gangster behind the Omar Little character on The Wire, died today in New York city after he suffered a heart attack, according to The Baltimore Sun. He was 58 years old.

Andrews grew up on the West Side of Baltimore and made a living robbing drug dealers. He served 18 years on a murder charge before he was let out on parole in 2005.

While serving his time, Andrews met a heroin addict by the name of Fran Boyd, who became the subject of the book The Corner, written by David Simon.

Andrews says his character in The Wire was spot on in an interview with Vice magazine. ”They made Omar exactly the way I was,” Andrews said. “David [Simon] wrote ‘The West Side Story’ [the initial Baltimore Sun article about Donnie] after my conviction in ’86 and they basically had everything down-pat. The gay part they took from a guy called Billy Outlaw, he was a gay stick-up guy.”

After his jail sentence Andrews turned his life around and started a nonprofit organization called “Why Murder?,” offering counseling to gang members and inner-city children.

Why Murder? is working hard to reform and revitalize communities throughout Baltimore. Communities are torn apart by homicides and the frequent administration of “street justice.” By bringing together families afflicted by homicide, both victims and perpetrators, our organization seeks to foster forgiveness, provide support, and strengthen inner city communities. Why Murder? critically needs funds to launch much needed programs that protect and support under served youth in urban areas at risk of incarceration and afflicted by crime in their communities. Our programs include career and vocational training, positive recreational activities and neighborhood reinvestment strategies.
We ask for your support today and hope you consider giving a donation to Why Murder? Inc., a 501(c)(3) compliant organization.
http://whymurder.org/Why_Murder/Welcome.ht...