Brother Mouzone

Brother Mouzone
File:The Wire Brother Mouzone.jpg
First appearance	"Stray Rounds" (episode 2.09)
Last appearance	"Mission Accomplished" (episode 3.12)
Created by	David Simon
Portrayed by	Michael Potts
In-universe information
Gender	Male
Occupation	Hired enforcer

Brother Mouzone is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Michael Potts.

Character history

Brother Mouzone, meaning "judicious" in Arabic, is a drug enforcer and hitman from New York City. "The Brother" does not fit the usual picture of drug-trade "muscle", always wearing a suit, bowtie, and glasses, speaking politely and precisely. He is also quite erudite, reading magazines such as The Economist, Harper's, The Atlantic, The New Republic, and The Nation. His dress, along with an extremely proper and pious persona is a manner typically associated with the Nation of Islam, more particularly its paramilitary wing, the Fruit of Islam, although it is never explicitly stated that he belongs to either organization. On first encountering Mouzone, the street dealer Cheese mocked his formal style of dress by remarking that he must either be in "the Nation", or he still lets his mother pick out his clothes. He reveals himself as a Muslim by mouthing "Allahu akbar" repeatedly after Omar shoots him and he believes he is about to die. However, he is also depicted drinking alcohol, which is forbidden in the Islamic religion. He is always accompanied by his "man" Lamar, who runs errands for Mouzone.

Season 2

Avon Barksdale hires him to protect the weakened Barksdale operation from Proposition Joe's dealers, who are working the Barksdale towers as part of a secret agreement between Stringer Bell and Proposition Joe. Mouzone confronts and promptly shoots Cheese Wagstaff with rat shot. He then informs Cheese that the next bullet in the chamber is a copper-jacketed hollow point bullet of his own design. Cheese and his dealers flee. To maintain his alliance with Proposition Joe, Stringer dupes Omar Little into believing that Mouzone is responsible for the brutal murder of Omar's boyfriend Brandon. After Omar shoots Mouzone the two speak, leading Omar to realize that he has been tricked: Mouzone is a ruthlessly efficient assassin who favors execution-style murder, therefore carving up Brandon and torturing him to death was not in Mouzone's style. Instead, Omar calls an ambulance for Mouzone and departs. While recovering in hospital Mouzone informs Stringer that their agreement is "absolved", and later returns to New York.

Season 3

In season three, Mouzone returns to Baltimore. He locates Omar's boyfriend Dante after seeking advice from Baltimore local Vinson. Mouzone beats Dante until he reveals Omar's whereabouts. Rather than exact vengeance on Omar for shooting him, he suggests that they find and kill Stringer Bell. Avon, whose relationship with Stringer has become strained after Stringer revealed that he was responsible for D'Angelo Barksdale's death, reluctantly gives Mouzone a time and a place to find Stringer after Mouzone threatens his connection to New York and his supply of drugs. Omar and Mouzone plan an ambush and kill Stringer together. Before returning to New York, Mouzone releases Dante and gives Omar his weapon to dispose of.