‘Law & Order’ and ‘The Wire’ Actor Dies After Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: Charley Scalies Was 84

Actor Charley Scalies, known for his roles in hit shows like The Wire and Law & Order, has died.

Scalies passed away “peacefully” on Thursday after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease, according to an online obituary. He was 84.

“Best known first and foremost as a husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and friend. Professionally, Charley Scalies was an American actor and former business executive whose life reflected a rich blend of professional achievement, creative passion, and a true joy for life,” it read. “His favorite audience was always seated around the dinner table.”

Born in Philadelphia in July 1940, Scalies is best remembered for his starring role as Thomas “Horseface” Pakusa, an imprisoned Baltimore longshoreman and member of IBS Local 1514, in The Wire. The actor appeared in all 12 episodes of the HBO show’s second season in 2003, and later appeared in fellow HBO series The Sopranos as Coach Molinaro, Tony’s high school football instructor, in the Season 5 episode “The Test Dream.”

Paying tribute to the actor on a virtual tribute wall, The Wire writer Rafael Alvarez recalled in a message to Scalies’ children, “I became instant friends with your Dad when I sat down next to him at lunch on the first day of shooting Season Two of The Wire. In time he became a member of my family. Miss you, Horse.”

Scalies is also well-remembered for his work in the Law & Order franchise. He appeared as Mario in the 1997 Season 8 episode “Ritual,” per his IMDb profile. He also made appearances in the spinoff show Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, first as Bert Ferrara in Season 7 and then as Dock Foreman in Season 9.

Per his obituary, Scalies made his big screen debut in the 1995 film Two Bits, starring Al Pacino. His other acting credits include 12 Monkeys, Liberty Heights, and Jersey Girl, as well as in stage productions of Guys and Dolls, Chicago, and The Wizard of Oz. His final acting credit was in an episode of Cold Case in 2008.

Scalies is survived by his wife of 62 years, Angeline M. Scalies (née Cardamone), as well as his five children: Charles Scalies III, Angeline Kogut, Anthony Scalies, Christa Ann Scalise, and Anne Marie Scalies.