Proposition Joe

Joseph Stewart
The Wire character
Robert F. Chew as Proposition Joe
First appearance"Game Day" (2002)
Last appearance"Transitions" (2008)
Created byDavid Simon
Portrayed byRobert F. Chew
In-universe information
NicknameProposition Joe, Prop Joe
GenderMale
OccupationDrug kingpin
Appliance store operator
RelativesMelvin "Cheese" Wagstaff (nephew)
Drac (nephew)
Randy Wagstaff (great nephew)

Joseph Stewart, better known as "Proposition Joe" or "Prop Joe", is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by Robert F. Chew. Joe is an Eastside drug lord who prefers a peaceful solution to business disputes when possible. He is responsible for creating the lucrative New Day Co-Op with Stringer Bell, supplying much of Baltimore with heroin brought into the city by "The Greeks". Displaying a cunning, business-oriented demeanor, Joe is often a match in stature for rival drug lords Avon Barksdale and Marlo Stanfield, and is able to manipulate most situations to his advantage.[1]

His nickname stems from his trademark phrase, "I've got a proposition for you", going back to his days selling test answers on the schoolyard. Along with Poot Carr, Wee-Bey Brice, Omar Little, and Bubbles, he is one of the few characters from the drug trade to appear in every season.

  1. ^ "'The Wire': Ranking 15 of the Most Notorious Villains". Uproxx. 2 June 2017.