Franklin Saint and Leon Simmons are loosely based on "Freeway" Rick Ross and his partner Cornell Ward

Snowfall‘s main characters Franklin Saint and Leon Simmons, portrayed by Damson Idris and Isaiah John, are fictional creations. But their narratives are largely inspired by the real stories of crack cocaine pioneers "Freeway" Rick Ross and Cornell Ward in 1980s Los Angeles.

You‘re probably wondering: who were the real people behind Snowfall‘s leading characters? Let me walk you through what we know about who Franklin and Leon are based on, and how Rick Ross and Cornell Ward‘s criminal exploits laid the foundation for Snowfall‘s dramatization of the early LA crack epidemic.

"Freeway" Rick Ross – the model for Franklin Saint

Franklin Saint may not portray Rick Ross exactly, but their trajectories share many striking similarities. Like Franklin, Ross went from small-time street hustler to hugely successful drug kingpin controlling much of the LA cocaine trade through savvy business strategy.

In real life, Rick Ross mastered the art of cutting powder cocaine with additives to produce mass quantities of rock-like "crack" cocaine – just as Franklin does in the show. By making crack affordable and widely available, Ross flooded the streets, earning an estimated $1 billion from his trafficking network.

Ross‘ organization at its peak distributed over 4000 kg of cocaine per day in LA. Similarly, Snowfall chronicles how Franklin corners the market by moving huge amounts of high-grade, inexpensive product. Ross‘ ability to undercut competitors by selling keys of powder cocaine for just $10,000 (when market rate was $60k per key) mirrors Franklin‘s tactics.

Both Franklin in the show and Rick Ross in real life positioned themselves as loner entrepreneurs independent of crime organizations like the Bloods and Crips. This allowed them to work with all sides of the LA underworld.

Ross claims that his explosive cocaine business and his suspected involvement with the CIA-linked Iran-Contra scandal were direct inspirations for Franklin Saint‘s character.

While details differ, Franklin largely follows Rick Ross‘ template of an ingenious young hustler whose crack dealing grows exponentially to consume much of LA.

Cornell Ward – the model for Leon Simmons

If Franklin is modeled after "Freeway" Rick Ross, then his trusted partner Leon Simmons clearly takes inspiration from Ross‘ main collaborator, Cornell Ward.

Ward met Ross in childhood, then later helped him build his cocaine empire by leveraging Ward‘s gang connections. This mirrors Leon‘s backstory as a long-time friend of Franklin‘s who provides entry to the street level narcotics scene.

Ward was essential to Ross‘ operation by coordinating distribution on the streets through Bloods and Crips sets that he had relationships with. On the show, Leon plays a similar role linking up Franklin to foot soldiers who can sling crack on the corners.

While Leon is fictional, his relationship with Franklin and background as a former gang member parallels the real-life partnership between kingpin Ross and his streetwise associate Cornell Ward.

Ward never ascended to the top tier like Ross did, which tracks with Leon remaining Franklin‘s loyal but secondary lieutenant in Snowfall.

Leon also represents how many low-level young black dealers bore the brunt of the risks in selling crack, while kingpins like Franklin amassed tremendous profits. This mirrors the fate of many real people like Ward who enabled "Freeway" Rick Ross‘ astronomical rise but did not share fully in the rewards.

The crack epidemic ravaged LA‘s black neighborhoods

It‘s important to understand the immense devastation caused by the crack epidemic of the 1980s that dealers like Ross and Ward helped ignite through their widespread trafficking. Snowfall powerfully dramatizes the damage done, though numbers alone can‘t capture the full human costs.

To comprehend the scale and impact, here are some key statistics:

• Over 21,000 Americans died from cocaine overdoses in the early 1990s at the height of the crack epidemic.

• The homicide rate for black males aged 14 to 17 more than doubled between 1984 and 1994 due to drug-related violence.

• By 1990, an estimated 1 in 4 people aged 18-25 in LA county had used crack cocaine.

• Property crime in LA rose over 60% from 1984 to 1989 as users stole to fund their addiction.

• Up to 90% of babies born in inner city hospitals had crack cocaine in their systems.

• From 1984 to 1989, the number of babies abandoned at LA County hospitals tripled from 3,500 to over 10,000 annually.

This data shows why Snowfall takes care to portray the trauma inflicted on families and communities by dealers like Franklin and Leon profiting from this crisis. Their fictional exploits are compelling, but it‘s vital to remember the real suffering caused by the unchecked spread of crack in the 1980s and 90s.

Snowfall purposefully emphasizes these still-felt impacts that are easy to forget when glorifying the outlaw tales of drug kingpins.

Snowfall‘s characters bring an urgent historical period to life

Through its dramatization by characters like Franklin and Leon, Snowfall provides a vivid glimpse into how the chaotic LA crack epidemic escalated through the actions of individual dealers and law enforcement officers.

Names and details differ, but the show powerfully evokes the real emergence of an underground economy pumping crack into the streets, making fortunes for kingpins while devastating vulnerable communities.

By exploring the complex motivations and consequences guiding its characters‘ choices, Snowfall brings urgent humanity to this painful chapter in history. The fictional Franklin and Leon represent just a few prominent figures in a vast web of people whose lives intersected with the early crack trade.

Snowfall can‘t capture the full scope, but through characters like these, it reveals the humanity and social forces underlying a pivotal moment in America‘s modern drug crisis. Understanding the origins of today‘s struggles requires looking at the real people and conditions that gave rise to crack‘s explosion in the 1980s.

So while Franklin Saint and Leon Simmons are invented characters, through them we can better comprehend the emergence of a dark new era that still casts a shadow today. Their world is imagined, but the suffering and lessons it conveys are painfully real.