After rewatching The Wire, I think it's safe to say Stringer>Avon.

[MalikX]

The thing about that Stringer/Marlo meeting up there..if a guy like Luciano came across a guy like that, who wasn't ready to get in line by the end of that meeting right there? He got to go. He's not gonna work down the line for the future of keeping everything where you want it to go. Bell took too much time to get rid of KEY ENEMIES. He got played like a sucker by Clay but he should of used every resource to get rid of this Marlo nygga when he didn't want to comply.

Yup. There's always a Marlo. They just usually get killed by the bosses because they recognize they're a threat. String and Prop was trying to mentor this nikka because they were too scared and too weak to kill him. And Marlo being a master at sizing up the fear in people, realized that. Killed Joe. Would've killed String too most likely if Omar/Mouzone ain't do it. Avon was the only nikka that saw Marlo was just like him but more psychotic. Meaning he'll never "get in line". He wanted power the same way Avon/String wanted it and killed whoever they killed to get the Towers before the show started.

 

[MalikX]

breh when avon got arrested he was in the spot with 10-15 guns, military machine guns and grenades

they got the call that marlo was at the shop and was just about to ride on this nikka

marlo would have been dead that night on some war shyt... he was done sending nikkas and was leading a scarface type hit squad on the nikka who had 2 nikkas with him at the time

Avon wanted Marlo dead so bad

 

[Rekorb]

Yup. There's always a Marlo. They just usually get killed by the bosses because they recognize they're a threat. String and Prop was trying to mentor this nikka because they were too scared and too weak to kill him. And Marlo being a master at sizing up the fear in people, realized that. Killed Joe. Would've killed String too most likely if Omar/Mouzone ain't do it. Avon was the only nikka that saw Marlo was just like him but more psychotic. Meaning he'll never "get in line". He wanted power the same way Avon/String wanted it and killed whoever they killed to get the Towers before the show started.

Avon was never going to stop being a gangsta, even called Stringer out for never killing someone. That's why Stringer confessed to having D'Angelo killed.

People make Marlo out to be a sociopath and Avon to be a saint, but look at all the killings Avon okay'd especially Wallace and Omar's boy Brandon.

You see how Avon talked to known killers like Slim and Cutty when they messed up, Avon ran his crew to be ruthless and those hitters only followed his lead.

Marlo would have been dead that night. Leaving Stinger in charge was what led to the downfall of the Barksdale crew, when Avon came home and saw Marlo had all the prime real estate Avon lost his mind.

Can't give Stringer any props, dude even got killed cause he had no gun.

 

[Sukairain]

Avon was never going to stop being a gangsta, even called Stringer out for never killing someone. That's why Stringer confessed to having D'Angelo killed.

People make Marlo out to be a sociopath and Avon to be a saint, but look at all the killings Avon okay'd especially Wallace and Omar's boy Brandon.

You see how Avon talked to known killers like Slim and Cutty when they messed up, Avon ran his crew to be ruthless and those hitters only followed his lead.

Marlo would have been dead that night. Leaving Stinger in charge was what led to the downfall of the Barksdale crew, when Avon came home and saw Marlo had all the prime real estate Avon lost his mind.

Can't give Stringer any props, dude even got killed cause he had no gun.

Gun or no gun, Stringer is not taking down a tag team of Omar and Brother Mouzone

 

[Rekorb]

Gun or no gun, Stringer is not taking down a tag team of Omar and Brother Mouzone

True, but does Omar walk through that front door or is he chewing on 9 mm shells if Stringer is armed?

 

[Rekorb]

are you talkin about the scene where they were chillin on the fence in the ending montage?

i didnt really read into that, i kinda just thought it was a "all the shyt these dudes did, this is where they ended up" and they had a mutual respect for each other and what theyd been through. maybe there was more to it

I think the books were closed on those two dudes, nothing more to that scene. It just showed the beef was all business and nothing personal, as it always is in the streets. Plus Namond is straight and out of the streets, Wee-Bay aint worrying about a thing. He threatened Delonda, which is the only reason she gave up her son. His mom was trying to make Namond a gangster, if Wee-Bay was around he would probably had mad Namond slow down on all that nonsense. Wee-Bay hustled at 12 years old cause he had to

Its crazy the Barksdale organization only had D'Angelo and his mother as the only two blood relatives in the mix. Breanna pretty much let the Barksdale organization die, cause she felt there D'Angelo did not commit suicide, especially Avon's response when he said "I aint had shyt to do with it".

 

[Pseudo]

It's pretty obvious Stringer's biggest mistake was Marlo but can you blame him? Everyone underestimated Stanfield, even Avon did at first.

It's good that everyone saw the benefits of the Co-Op though.

 

[BeatsBoxingMayhem]

Really no wrong answer and it entirely depends on your perspective and goals. However, it surprises me most people overlook that Avon himself said Stringer was right.



The Avon/Stringer organization worked because they both covered each other's weaknesses. Once they became divided in season 2, the organization went down the path of a slow death.

 

[Trece]

yeah really they just had a huge bust in NYC again with a bunch of the families involved
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/05/nyregion/mafia-five-families-racketeering-conspiracy.html?_r=0


Don't know who is the head, that said from what I've heard that is the way they like it now.

Mafia still exists although they arent as powerful now as they once were. They went underground after that show off John Gotti brought all the heat on them.

 

[Sukairain]

True, but does Omar walk through that front door or is he chewing on 9 mm shells if Stringer is armed?

My favourite part about that scene is how the fat white dude reacts he pushes his neck and head into his jacket, like a turtle going into its shell

 

[Rekorb]

Really no wrong answer and it entirely depends on your perspective and goals. However, it surprises me most people overlook that Avon himself said Stringer was right.



The Avon/Stringer organization worked because they both covered each other's weaknesses. Once they became divided in season 2, the organization went down the path of a slow death.

Dude found out his nephew died because of the business and his closest friend Stringer died likewise. Those loses made him feel like it was not worth it...but he still was about to bury Marlo, so I don't think he was fully committed to those words.

 

[Trece]

lets not forget mid war, marlo went into hiding from avon... there was a long stretch where they couldn't even find marlo cause chris told him to lay low until they could figure something out... avon had them boys under pressure

Also Marlo was shook of Omar.. had him hiding in that rim shop for weeks.

 

[FaTaL]

Dude found out his nephew died because of the business and his closest friend Stringer died likewise. Those loses made him feel like it was not worth it...but he still was about to bury Marlo, so I don't think he was fully committed to those words.

Dude is a g

He only thought it wasn't worth it once he got locked up a second time

After stringer died that sh!t rengerized him

 

[TooLazyToMakeUp1]

Avon got out-maneuvered and almost killed in the streets twice by both Marlo and Omar

Avon's weak connect dried up the corners, making their territory irrelevant, but Stringer's idea for the Co-op literally saved the Barksdale crew + brought organization + better product + made everyone more money + decreased heat + protection of a network of crews


Avon undermined the whole operation because of petty low level street beef over ego, Prop Joe even mentioned it. Hiring Mouzone was unnecessary if he had just listened to Stringer and Brianna about the Co-op.


Omar nor Marlo could've competed with the pooled resources and manpower of the Co-op if Avon got onboard


Stringer got finessed because he was a rookie. It happens, but it didn't totally ruin him financially. That experience dealing with Clay would've only made him more thorough in the future


They both had faults, but people tend to fall in love with Avon's rugged approach. The more I went back to watch the series, Stringer's approach made more sense

Look atwhat happened in the end though.

The city was gentrifying the raggedy corners that Avon was struggling to keep and literally blew up the blocks. Stringers plans would've gave them legitimate equity in the future and they could've actually owned their streets

 

[scarlxrd]

Avon knew his role in the game and played it well. Stringer's like Rawls to Avon's Burrell. So eager to take his man's place that he ended up never getting that top seat. Stringer would have never gotten as far as he did without Avon, can't say the other way around.