Why Did the Murders Stop in Baltimore?

Man On Stoop: Snot.

McNulty: You call the guy Snot?

Man On Stoop: Snot Boogie.

McNulty': He like the name?

Man On Stoop: What?

McNulty: Snot Boogie. [man shrugs] This kid, whose mamma went to the trouble of christening him Omar Isaiah Betts. You know, he forgets his jacket, so his nose starts running, and some asshole, instead of getting him a Kleenex, he calls him Snot. So he's Snot forever. Doesn't seem fair.

Man On Stoop: Life just be that way, I guess.

McNulty: So, who shot Snot?

Man On Stoop: I ain't goin' to no court. [shakes his head] Motherfucker ain't have to put no cap in him, though.

McNulty: Definitely not.

Man On Stoop: I mean, he could've whooped his ass like we always whoop his ass.

McNulty: I agree with you.

Man On Stoop: He goin' kill Snot, Snot been doin' the same shit I don't know how long. Kill a man over some bullshit. I'm sayin', every Friday night in an alley behind the Cut Rate, we rollin' bones, you know? I mean all them boys, we roll til late.

McNulty: Alley crap game, right?

Man On Stoop: Like every time, Snot, he'd fade a few shooters, play it out til the pot's deep. Snatch and run.

McNulty: What, every time?

Man On Stoop: Couldn't help hisself.

McNulty: Let me understand. Every Friday night, you and your boys are shooting craps, right? And every Friday night, your pal Snot Boogie... he'd wait til there's cash on the ground and he'd grab it and run away? You let him do that?

Man On Stoop: We'd catch him and beat his ass but ain't nobody ever go past that.

McNulty: I gotta ask ya: if every time Snot Boogie would grab the money and run away, why'd you even let him in the game?

Man On Stoop: What?

McNulty: If Snot Boogie always stole the money, why'd you let him play?

Man On Stoop: Got to. This America, man