Edward Fagan, Yonkers City Council member who was outspoken in his criticism of the federal ruling Terry Kinney as Peter Smith, the Yonkers Housing Authority director Jon Bernthal as Michael H. Sussman, civil rights attorney and former federal prosecutor; represents the local NAACP chapter Michael Stahl-David as James Surdoval, Wasicsko's political consultant Catherine Keener as Mary Dorman, an East Yonkers homeowner who was part of the Save Yonkers Federation Bruce Altman as Buddy Dorman, Mary's husband Ilfenesh Hadera as Carmen "Alma" Febles, a single mother from the Dominican Republic LaTanya Richardson Jackson as Norma O'Neal, a home health aid living in the projects, who is struggling with losing her sight McKinley Belcher III as Dwayne Meeks, Norma O'Neal's son and a minivan manufacturer Natalie Paul as Doreen Henderson, a young woman born in public housing but raised in the suburbs, who is drawn back to the housing projects where her life spirals out of control just as the crack epidemic intensifies Dominique Fishback as Billie Rowan, a troubled teenager who lives in the projects and gets involved with a local petty criminal Melanie Nicholls-King as Janet Rowan, Billie Rowan's mother Clarke Peters as Robert Mayhawk, neighborhood consultant who runs the Housing Education Relocation Enterprise (H.E.R.E.), to assist with the integration of scattered-site public housing Jenna Stern as Gail Shaffer, Secretary of State of New York, chairs the Yonkers Emergency Financial Control Board Production Development Simon said that Gail Mutrux (who runs the production company Pretty Pictures), a producer Simon knew from working with her on Homicide, had sent him a copy of Belkin's book. In 2001, Simon sent Zorzi, who at that time was assistant city editor at The Baltimore Sun, a copy of the book, which he was taking to HBO as a potential project. In 2002, Zorzi quit his job at The Sun and began working on this miniseries, on what became a long-term project. The story was in development for over a decade, with co-writer Zorzi working on the passion project during that time, even as he and Simon were working on The Wire. HBO had an option on the book, but it spent years in script re-writes with Zorzi as Simon and Zorzi were both busy working on other projects. Simon says that Mayor Nick Wasicsko's story is what drives the narrative, and that if the character's arc wasn't right, the series would fail. Simon calls