Cutty Wise

Lore & Background

Cutty is known as a legendary soldier in Baltimore's drug trade and was finishing a fourteen-year prison sentence when Avon Barksdale and Wee-Bey Brice arrived in prison. He is well respected by Avon and many others in his organization for the work he did before going to prison, including phoning the police from the scene of a daytime murder he had committed. After his release, he initially works for Avon as an enforcer, but when faced with Fruit during a planned strike, he finds himself unable to fire. He tells Avon, "The game ain’t in me no mo'," and leaves the crew. He then builds a new life by returning to landscaping and, at a deacon's suggestion, opens a boxing gym. With political backing from Rev. Frank Reid, State Delegate Odell Watkins, and Marla Daniels, he gets the permits he needs. He approaches Avon for funding, and Avon, a former amateur boxer, happily provides the money without any incentive. He connects with sergeant Ellis Carver through efforts to encourage children away from drug dealing through sports. In season four, his gym is thriving, and he takes on other trainers. He begins to take an interest in training a boy named Michael Lee, who he believes is a natural boxer. Michael, distrustful of older men due to his history of being abused by his stepfather, rebuffs Wise's first offer of coaching. Later, Wise is shot in the leg while trying to convince Michael to leave the corner life. In season five, Michael drops off his friend Duquan "Dukie" Weems to train with Cutty. Cutty watches Dukie fight and, seeing his ineptitude as a boxer, tells him he has other talents and tries to inspire him to leave Baltimore, though he ultimately admits that he himself, despite having reformed, doesn't know how to get out.

In Their Own Story

The gym lights hum overhead as Cutty wraps his hands, watching the younger kids spar. Outside the window, the Baltimore skyline glows with familiar streetlights that once marked territory for him. He remembers the weight of a gun in his pocket, now replaced by the heavy leather of boxing gloves. A kid drops to one knee, exhausted, and Cutty offers a hand up instead of a lecture. The corner is quiet tonight; he has made sure of it.

Reader's Guide

Cutty is introduced in season three as a legendary soldier finishing a fourteen-year prison sentence. Avon Barksdale approaches him with an offer of work shortly before his release. After his release, Barksdale lieutenant Shamrock gives him a homecoming gift of a package of narcotics. Cutty approaches a street dealer named Fruit and offers to supply him for a cut of the profit, but Fruit refuses to pay him and threatens him with a gun, leading Cutty to back down. Cutty then turns to work as a day laborer with a landscaping crew. He tracks down his ex-girlfriend, Grace Sampson, who puts him in touch with her church deacon. The deacon suggests Cutty study for his GED, but Cutty sees this as too difficult and begins working with the Barksdale crew soon after his parole. He works with young soldiers Sapper and Gerard to track down a thief in the Barksdale organization, and his experience and intelligence enable them to quickly identify the culprit. Cutty is appalled when the younger soldiers almost kill the young dealer, believing a warning beating sufficient. During a turf war between the Barksdales and Marlo Stanfield, Cutty and Slim Charles plan a raid using a pincer movement, but their younger associates ruin the plan by striking too soon, and Barksdale veteran Country is killed. Cutty and Slim Charles later decide to strike back alone, but when their moment comes, Cutty is faced with Fruit and finds himself unable to fire. He tells Avon he's leaving the crew, saying, "The game ain’t in me no mo'." Avon lets him leave, telling Slim Charles that Cutty still deserves their respect. Cutty then builds a new life by returning to landscaping and, at the deacon's suggestion, opens a boxing gym. He receives political backing from Rev. Frank Reid, State Delegate Odell Watkins, and Marla Daniels to get the permits he needs. He approaches Avon for funding, and Avon happily provides the money. He connects with sergeant Ellis Carver through efforts to encourage children away from drug dealing through sports. In season four, his gym is thriving, and he takes on other trainers. He begins to take an interest in training Michael Lee, who rebuffs his first offer of coaching. Later, Cutty is shot in the leg while trying to convince Michael to leave the corner life. While in the hospital, Cutty is instrumental in getting Namond Brice off the streets by arranging Howard Colvin to have a "sitdown" with Namond's father, Wee-Bey. In season five, Michael drops off Duquan "Dukie" Weems to train with Cutty. Cutty watches Dukie fight and, seeing his ineptitude as a boxer, tells him he has other talents and tries to inspire him to leave Baltimore, though he admits he himself doesn't know how to get out.

Did You Know?

• The character's name 'Dennis Wise' was taken from an actual Baltimore contract killer who was given a life sentence in prison, released in 2017, and became an anti-violence advocate.
• The nickname 'Cutty' originates from the character serving time in the Maryland State Penitentiary in Jessup, Maryland, which was nicknamed 'The Cut'.
• Cutty was inspired by real-life boxing trainer Calvin Ford.
• George Pelecanos is credited with creating the character, based on unused notes from his novel Drama City.
• The real Dennis Wise wrote a novel called The Wolf Trap while in prison.