The Wire
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The Wire

Michael "Sanny" Santangelo is a officer responsible for driving the district arrest van in the Western District in the BPD.

Biography[]

Season 1[]

Santangelo was a detective in the Homicide Unit who was sent with James McNulty into the Barksdale Detail in order to spy on him for William Rawls. Rawls sent him to the detail because "Sanny" was one of the unit's more inept homicide detectives, with a less than 40% clearance rate whose excuse for his performance is a lack of "dunker" cases (easy cases). He tries to resist, stating that it isn't his job to inform on a fellow cop and Rawls orders him to solve one of his open cases, all of which are "Whodunits" (difficult cases), inform on McNulty or leave the Homicide Unit altogether. Sergeant Landsman recommends a psychic, Madame LaRue, and Santangelo desperately tries her. "Sanny" follows her instructions to bury a doll at the cemetery. That evening, McNulty solves one of the open cases, and Santangelo doesn't understand why a different case got solved. Landsman informs him that Bunk and McNulty did his work for him through a witness Omar Little. With the clearance, Santangelo is able to refuse Rawls's demands and is grateful enough to inform McNulty that Rawls actively wants to fire him.

He is demoted to patrol officer at the end of season one for failing to give Rawls anything else useful.

Season 2[]

In season two, he is seen briefly as a beat officer, arresting Bubbles and Johnny Weeks when they try to steal medical supplies from an ambulance responding to an overdose.

Season 3[]

He drives the narcotics wagon in Major Colvin's Western district - a large prisoner transport vehicle used to round up drug dealers. When he encounters former Barksdale Squad members McNulty and Shakima Greggs, Santangelo mentions that he is apparently happy at being a patrolmen as his job is easier. As he is no longer a detective, he no longer deals with commanders such as Rawls and still takes home the same pension thus making him happier.

Season 4[]

In 2006, he remains a patrol officer in the Western District when McNulty transfers in alongside him. During a counter-terrorism seminar, he was the first officer to point out the uselessness of Western District officers learning anti-terrorism tactics in a crime ridden district. Santangelo is also one of several officers present for the arrest of Omar Little on a murder warrant.

Season 5[]

Production[]

Appearances[]

Season 1
"The Target" "The Detail" "The Buys" "Old Cases" "The Pager"
"The Wire" "One Arrest" "Lessons" "Game Day" "The Cost"
"The Hunt" "Cleaning Up" "Sentencing"
Season 2
"Ebb Tide" "Collateral Damage" "Hot Shots" "Hard Cases" "Undertow"
"All Prologue" "Backwash" "Duck and Cover" "Stray Rounds" "Storm Warnings"
"Bad Dreams" "Port in a Storm"
Season 3
"Time after Time" "All Due Respect" "Dead Soldiers" * "Amsterdam" "Straight and True"
"Homecoming" "Back Burners" "Moral Midgetry" "Slapstick" "Reformation"
"Middle Ground" "Mission Accomplished" *
Season 4
"Boys of Summer" "Soft Eyes" "Home Rooms" "Refugees" "Alliances"
"Margin of Error" "Unto Others" "Corner Boys" "Know Your Place" "Misgivings"
"A New Day" "That's Got His Own" "Final Grades"
Season 5
"More with Less" "Unconfirmed Reports" "Not for Attribution" "Transitions" "React Quotes"
"The Dickensian Aspect" "Took" "Clarifications" "Late Editions" "-30-"

*Uncredited appearance.

References[]


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