Ziggy Sobotka

Ziggy Sobotka
First appearance	"Ebb Tide" (episode 2.01)
Last appearance	"Port in a Storm" (episode 2.12)
Created by	David Simon
Portrayed by	James Ransone
Information
Aliases	Ziggy
Gender	Male
Occupation	Dock worker/Prisoner
Family	Frank Sobotka (father)
Relatives	Nick Sobotka (cousin)

Chester Karol "Ziggy" Sobotka is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor James Ransone. Though his father Frank Sobotka was a well-respected stevedore union leader, Ziggy's thoughtless and immature behavior gained him little respect among other members of the union and The Greek's crime organization.

Ziggy is Frank Sobotka's son and Nick's cousin. Ziggy is a dock worker in his father's stevedores union, but he is also involved in criminal activity. Like most of the port workers, Ziggy frequents Delores' bar, where he amuses the other customers with his drunken antics. He is known for publicly exposing himself. His work on the docks is often poor, resulting in him regularly being fired and reinstated by his father. Due to his lack of seniority, Ziggy receives little work. He is often portrayed as a clumsy and inept beneficiary of his father's hard work and stewardship of the union who is more interested in goofing off than working hard. He is close to his older cousin Nick, who often bails him out when his various money-making schemes backfire. Despite his shortcomings, however, he has a better understanding of technology than many of his colleagues. He uses his computer research skills to assist Nick in his dealings with the Greeks.

When fourteen dead women are discovered in one of Sobotka's shipping crates, Ziggy is dealing drugs supplied by "White Mike" McArdle. He tries unsuccessfully to convince his more streetwise cousin Nick to join him. He sells the drugs at street level using an East side dealer known as Frog. When Frog lies about being robbed and keeps the money, this prompts White Mike to sever ties with Ziggy. He turns to smuggling with his cousin, starting with a container of digital cameras. During a meeting with George "Double G" Glekas, a front man for an international smuggling operation, Ziggy's knowledge of the product helps to secure a better deal. However, when Glekas sees Ziggy taking pictures, he angrily smashes the camera. When Ziggy uses his share of the money to buy a new leather coat, Nick chastises him for flashing his newfound wealth. This also earns him the disdain of a coworker named Maui.

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Wikipedia