Frank Sobotka was a respected longshoremen's local union leader who became involved with an organized crime smuggling operation in order to finance a political campaign to sustain the docks.
Joan is aghast when the police serve warrants and search her home looking for Nick and find drugs and cash.
He spends his days hypothetically gambling on horses (he never places any money on his bets) and drinking at Delores' bar.
Played by: Pablo Schreiber Louis and Joan's son and Frank's nephew, Nick is a well-liked young stevedore with extensive family connections to the Baltimore port and links to the criminal underworld.
Ziggy is Frank's son, an impulsive and often reckless young checker, loosely based on Pinkie Bannion, a real life docker in the Baltimore area, at the docks with a desire to prove himself and a respected father to live up to.
Nat is a firm believer that the unions should focus on repairing the disused grain pier before it is bought by property developers.
He expects Frank to stand down to let Ott take his place as the unions have an arrangement that Polish and African American leaders will alternate.
Ott was set to take over from Frank as treasurer when the next election came around, per the Stevedores' arrangement that the position swap between a Polish and African-American after each term.
When Frank was murdered, Ott withdrew his candidacy as a show of unity against the federal government's attempt to break up the union.
Little Big Roy is a large, balding, Polish crew chief from Nat Coxson's IBS longshoremen's union.
Frank Sobotka borrowed Little Big Roy's union card in order to work a ship to clear his head after he was arrested.
Spamanto was indicted by a grand jury as part of the investigation into smuggling at the docks but gave very little information and escaped uncharged.
Johnny Fifty briefly resurfaces in Season 5 as a homeless man, demonstrating how far the union has fallen: in previous years, Spamanto regularly found work in the tower, but is now evidently getting very few hours and as a result is hurting financially.
Big Roy was part of the crowd of Stevedores that witnessed their murdered union leader Frank Sobotka being pulled from the docks.
Aimee hopes to get a place for her young family to share and encourages Nick to go house hunting with her despite his lack of income from his dock work.