July 7th 2023.
David Simon, the creator of HBO's iconic show, The Wire, recently wrote a letter to Judge Ronnie Abrams asking for leniency for one of the men charged in the 2021 death of the show's star, Michael K. Williams, according to Rolling Stone. Carlos Macci, 71, has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing in late July.
In his three-page letter, Simon passionately pleaded for a much shorter sentence for Macci. “No possible good can come from incarcerating a 71-year-old soul, largely illiterate, who has himself struggled with a lifetime of addiction,” he wrote.
The letter was written at the request of Macci's lawyer, Benjamin Zeman. Zeman described Simon as “a thoughtful and eloquent voice about the failure of the war on drugs.” Simon remembered a time when Williams discussed his struggles with addiction on the set of the show's third season. Williams had spoken of the stabilizing influence his work on the show had, and his attachment to a certain crew member “whose job was to assure some distance between Mike and temptation.”
Simon feels Macci is not to blame for Williams' death and recalled how he always admired Williams' sense of accountability. “I never failed to see him take responsibility for himself and his decisions,” he said, according to IndieWire.
The Emmy-nominated Williams was found dead in his Brooklyn home in September 2021. His death was confirmed to be caused by cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin found in his system. Williams was known for his work on The Wire, as well as on several other HBO original content shows, including Boardwalk Empire and Lovecraft County.
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