Jay Landsman

Last updated

Jay Landsman
Born
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Children4
Police career
Department Baltimore Police Department
Baltimore County Police Department
RankLieutenant
Other work Television actor

Jay C. Landsman [1] [2] is an American retired homicide detective and actor. He was featured in David Simon's 1991 book about the Baltimore homicide unit Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets . According to the book, Landsman was the last of his family line on the Baltimore Police Department. His brother Jerry was a detective in the agency who left in the 1980s and their father was the department's first Jewish district commander. [3]

Contents

Acting career

The book was later developed into the television series Homicide: Life on the Street . He was the inspiration for the fictional character John Munch on that show [4] as well as a character named Jay Landsman on the television series The Wire , created by Simon (although the Landsman character is not played by Landsman himself, but by Delaney Williams). Landsman portrayed himself in a brief appearance on the HBO miniseries The Corner and, later, appeared in The Wire, playing the character of Lieutenant Dennis Mello. He appeared in season five of the food and travel show No Reservations , when host Anthony Bourdain stopped in Baltimore on a tour of America's rust belt.

Police career

Landsman's family's work in police and fire departments goes back generations. His father, Lt. Charles "Buck" Pfaff, was killed in a fire truck accident on Park Heights Avenue in 1949. [5]

In December 2015, Landsman was promoted to lieutenant in the Baltimore County Police Department. Landsman retired from the city's police force in 1994, when he joined the county. In 2004, he and his son Jay C. Landsman Jr. were simultaneously promoted from corporal to sergeant in the department. By 2015, Landsman Jr. was a captain, having commanded Precinct 6 since April 2014, [2] and by September 2017- when he was appointed Commander of the Technical Services Division at Baltimore County Police Headquarters- a Major. [6]

As of March 2016, by which time he was a Lieutenant in the Pikesville precinct, all four of Landsman's children were serving with him in the Baltimore County Police Department, as was one granddaughter. [7] His nephew, Richard Landsman, also served in Baltimore as a Lieutenant, as did other members of the Landsman family. [8] [9]

References

  1. Baltimore County Police 1874-1999, 125th Anniversary. Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Co. 1999. p. 123. ISBN   1563114496.
  2. 1 2 Meehan, Sarah (December 8, 2015). "'Wire' inspiration, actor and real-life cop Jay Landsman Sr. promoted to lieutenant". The Baltimore Sun . Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  3. Simon, David (2006) [1991]. "One". Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets (4th ed.). Owl Books. p.  85. ISBN   0-8050-8075-9. His father had retired with a lieutenant's rank as acting commander of the Northwestern district, the first Jewish officer to rise to a district command on a predominantly Irish department.
  4. Simon, David (2006) [1991]. Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets. New York: Owl Books. Photo insert section.
  5. Zumer, Bryna (July 22, 2025). "Carroll sheriff's race gets 2nd candidate whose father famously inspired 'The Wire' character". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved July 24, 2025.
  6. Cambest, Margarita (September 29, 2017). "Towson's police precinct gets new commander, as former head is promoted". Chicago Tribune .
  7. Snyder, Ron (March 17, 2016). "Local family celebrates 80 years of police service; Landsman family has been serving the public since 1936". WBAL-TV . Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  8. Schuh, Mike (February 16, 2016). "Baltimore Family Has Gone Into Law Enforcement For 80 Years". WJZ-TV .
  9. Baltimore County Police 1874-1999, 125th Anniversary. Paducah, Kentucky: Turner Publishing Co. 1999. p. 64. ISBN   1563114496.