Wire Actor Dead at 84: You Won’t Believe What Happened!

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Charlie Scalies, who hailed from Philadelphia and was known for his roles as Thomas “Horseface” Pakusa, the stevedore and union member on the second season of ‘The Wire’, and Tony’s high school football coach in a dream sequence on ‘The Sopranos‘, has passed away. He was 84 years old.

Anne Marie Scalies confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that her father, who was residing in a nursing facility in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, passed away on Thursday, having fought a prolonged battle with Alzheimer’s disease.

During the second season of HBO’s show The Wire in 2003, characters known as Scalies were featured in all 12 episodes. One of these Scalies was Horseface, a previous union member from Local 1514 of the Baltimore Port who had served time in prison and was loyal to his corrupt boss, Frank Sobotka, played by Chris Bauer.

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In the second season of The Wire on HBO in 2003, there were characters called Scalies present throughout all 12 episodes. One such character was Horseface, a former Baltimore Port Local 1514 longshoreman who had done time and was devoted to his dishonest boss, Frank Sobotka (played by Chris Bauer).

or

During the second season of HBO’s The Wire in 2003, 12 episodes featured characters known as Scalies. One of these Scalies was Horseface, a former member of Baltimore Port Local 1514 who had been incarcerated and was loyal to his crooked boss, Frank Sobotka (played by Chris Bauer).

or

During the second season of HBO’s The Wire in 2003, a character called Horseface appeared as a Scalie in all 12 episodes. He was once a member of Baltimore Port Local 1514 and had served time in prison for his loyalty to his criminal boss, Frank Sobotka (played by Chris Bauer).

Just like every other character I’ve had the privilege to bring to life, Horseface resides within me,” he stated during an interview in 2019. “I summon him whenever it’s appropriate.

In the following year, Scalies returned to HBO for the fifth season episode of “The Sopranos” titled “The Test Dream.” Here, he was portrayed as Coach Molinaro. His tough persona emerged in a dream, scolding James Gandolfini’s character Tony (who is seeking vengeance) for choosing the easy path by engaging in criminal activities and wasting his talents.

Born on the 19th of July, 1940, in Philadelphia, Charles Joseph Scalies Jr., the youngest sibling among three, was brought up in South Philadelphia, residing above his father’s billiard hall. As a youngster, he amused the regular customers with jokes and Al Jolson imitations.

During his high school years and at St. Joseph’s College, he and a friend performed a stand-up comedy routine at various local establishments, as he shared in a 2015 interview. “We frequented every Beef and Beer venue we could locate,” he said. “Much like many comedy duos of the era, we modeled our act after Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.

Following college, Scalies secured a position as the Director of Sales and Contracts at Clifton Precision, a manufacturing business. Later, he started his own consulting enterprise, specializing in audits and quality management system development.

In the 1990s, he made a comeback to the stage with community and dinner theater performances. He took on roles such as Nicely-Nicely Johnson in “Guys & Dolls”, Billy Flynn in “Chicago”, and the Cowardly Lion in “The Wizard of Oz” for the St. Francis Players, based in Springfield, Pennsylvania.

Scalies attended auditions, eventually landing small roles in the 1995 films “Condition Red”, “Two Bits” starring Al Pacino, and “12 Monkeys” directed by Terry Gilliam. Later, he portrayed a police officer in two episodes of NBC’s “Homicide: Life on the Street” in 1996, a series that David Simon, the creator of “The Wire”, was involved in producing.

Scalies’ resume featured roles in the movies “Liberty Heights” (1999), directed by Barry Levinson, who is known for producing “Homicide”, and “Jersey Girl” (2004) by Kevin Smith. Additionally, they had guest appearances on “Law & Order”, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”, and “Cold Case”.

He also wrote a screenplay titled It Takes Balls, inspired by his dad’s pool room.

Remaining are his 62-year spouse, Angeline; children Chuck, Angeline Jr., Tony, Christa, and Anne Marie; as well as grandchildren Charles IV, Christopher, Domenic, and Amelia. As his family pointed out, “His preferred spectators,” they said, “were always gathered around the dinner table.

Contributions may be made under his honor to the Greater Pennsylvania Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association, or alternatively, to the PCS Theater located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.

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2025-05-04 22:29