Why do people act like Avon was way better than Marlo when he really wasn't?
Wire fans really glaze Avon and that's mainly cause he was a charismatic guy. But he really isn't even super different from Marlo (at least for the reasons people hate on him).
He had innocent people killed (more than Marlo if we're being honest): Gant, the security guard, the 5 prisoners killed (not to mention the other 6 who almost died).
Gant's death was necessary to Avon because he wanted to send a message to the streets about snitching, even though he was just minding his own business doing his job when D shot and killed that guy in the lobby and got picked up for it. Same with Chris killing that deliverywoman. Marlo and them needed her death to frame Omar to get him killed in jail.
He snitched on (well honestly framed) a CO for multiple deaths he had committed. Marlo did the same thing indirectly with the deliverywoman and Omar.
Avon had Brandon tortured and killed for robbing his stash to boost his image. Marlo had Junebug and his muscle and GF killed because Junebug was lying on him calling him a dicksucker (essentially for the same reason). Both of them knew that appearing weak by letting people challenge you could be fatal to everything they built up.
Avon had to get Stringer killed because without his death, he would lose supply to any dope he had coming in, not knowing he already gave him up to BPD. Marlo had to get Joe killed because without his death, he wouldn't get control of the connect. And neither of them knew they were betrayed by the other person beforehand (Joe got Marlo robbed and had the shipment stolen on top of taxing the co-op when they were buying it back).