Enrique Morales

Enrique Morales is a fictional character played by NYPD officer turned actor David Zayas on the HBO drama Oz.

Prisoner #00M871. Convicted April 6, 2000 - Murder in the second degree. Sentence: 25 years, up for parole in 15.

Morales is one of the most powerful Latinos in Oz, incarcerated for killing another man in a fight. On arriving in Oz, he assumes the position as the head of the Latino gang El Norte by having inmate Bob Rebadow kill the old leader Raoul "El Cid" Hernandez. In doing so, he becomes partners in the prison drug trade with Italians (known as the "Wiseguys") led by Chucky Pancamo and the African American gang (known as the "Homeboys") led by Simon Adebisi. Often allied with Pancamo, he is a true businessman who only makes decisions based on how to get more influence within Oz. Unlike the more reactionary members of the Latinos, Morales is calculating and deliberate. With Morales in charge, the Latinos prosper in the drug trade. Though less hotheaded, Morales is an absolutely ruthless leader with no reservations about using violence against anyone to achieve his goals.

When Morales arrives in prison, he is assigned in the unit "Emerald City", usually referred to as Em City. Chucky Pancamo, head of the Italians, takes an immediate shine to him. Morales is not like the current heads of the Latinos. He is more modernized and shares few similarities with the current Latino heads, Raoul Hernandez and Carmen Guerra, whom he calls "Spics" and "Old School Thugs." Pancamo decides he would much rather do business with the like-minded Morales than Hernandez, and suggests to Morales that he arranges to get rid of Hernandez in order to assume control of the Latinos. In order to take over the Latinos, Morales arranges for elderly inmate Bob Rebadow to bunk with Hernandez and kill him, pleading self-defense. Morales, successful in eliminating El Cid and gaining control of the Latino faction, joins up with Pancamo and Adebisi in running the drug trade. Their next concern is new inmate Desmond Mobay who wants to enter into the drug trade. The three vote on whether to include Mobay and after the resulting tie (Morales abstained from voting) agree that Mobay must kill someone to prove his loyalty. Mobay kills a bigoted and corrupt police detective serving time in Oz named Bruno Goergen. Afterwards, a new unit manager Martin Querns tells Morales, Pancamo, and Adebisi that they can sell all the drugs they want as long as they guarantee no violence in Em City. The three of them are named trustees of Em City and arrange for a change in the demographics of Em City. Morales and Pancamo are pleased about the removal of the Aryan, Biker, Gay, and Christian inmates but later realize that all the new prisoners and prison guards are African Americans handpicked by Adebisi and Querns. When Adebisi starts pocketing a larger amount of the drug profits Morales and Pancamo decide it is time to go to war. However, Adebisi points out their slim chance of survival in the now overwhelmingly black unit. Morales and Pancamo are then transferred to Unit B.

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