A Tale of Two Jay Landsmans
The burly detective sergeant Jay Landsman that viewers know from The Wire was inspired by the real-life Jay Landsman, who may have been smaller in stature, but was just as big of a personality as the character. The real Landsman was a homicide detective who David Simon first met while researching his book Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets. That book went on to inspire an NBC television series.
The character Jay Landsman wasn’t the only Jay Landsman to appear on The Wire. The real-life Landsman eventually became a regular cast member playing the role of Major Dennis Mello in seasons three through five. The inspiration didn’t end there.
