Melvin Williams, reformed drug dealer and ‘The Wire’ actor, dies at 73

Melvin Williams, whose life as a West Baltimore drug kingpin in the 1960s and post-prison redemption earned him a place on HBO’s “The Wire,” died Dec. 3 at a hospital in the city. He was 73. Citing friends of Mr. Williams, the Baltimore Sun reported the cause was cancer. Known as “Little Melvin” — or Slim or Black, the latter for his preference for dark clothing — he once ruled the illegal drug trade along the city’s Pennsylvania Avenue that prosecutors said grossed $1 million a day.
Read more: http://ift.tt/1jGZULi