Robert F. Chew, “Prop Joe” on “The Wire,” Dead at 52

According to the Baltimore Sun, Robert F. Chew, the actor who played crime boss “Prop Joe” on the HBO series The Wire

has died of “apparent heart failure in his sleep at his home in Northeast Baltimore.”

“Robert was not only an exceptional actor, he was an essential part of the film and theater community in Baltimore,” David Simon, creator of The Wire, said in an email to the Sun

.

The 52-year-old actor also appeared on The Corner and Homicide, which were also based in Baltimore, Maryland, as was The Wire. The funeral for Mr. Chew will be Thursday at Calvin-Scruggs Funeral Home.

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