- "You came to Stockton to do a six-year stretch. The moves you made in here for the club added another 30. You lost your freedom, your vision... your sanity. And now you're on death row. Seems to me there is a substantial inequity at play here."
- ―Lincoln Potter, to Otto Delaney
       
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Otto “Big Otto” Delaney was a member of the Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, Redwood Original charter on the FX original series Sons of Anarchy. Played by American actor and show creator Kurt Sutter, Otto makes his debut on the episode "Giving Back" in season one; playing a recurring role throughout the same and subsequent seasons, Otto meets his demise in the season six episode, "Wolfsangel".
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Appearance and Style[]
Otto is of average build and height, standing at roughly 6' tall. Before becoming incarcerated, Otto had long brown hair and a full beard and moustache combo. By season one, Otto is incarcerated and has trimmed his facial hair in to being van dyke styled, his still long brown hair is well kept and Otto often wears a bandana. By season three, Otto's beard has greyed and he keeps it stubbly and short. He has also cut his hair to shoulder length and often keeps it in a ponytail and under a black beanie which he frequently wears. By season four, Otto's hair has grown out again and he is visibly not taking care of himself. Otto's physical appearance continues to deteriorate throughout season five and six as he goes through hell inside prison; his hair grows longer and is clearly unkempt and dirty.
Otto has numerous tattoos, he has a tribal full sleeve on his right arm and another tribal bracelet on his left leg. These are Sutter's real tattoos. Otto's SoA tattoos consist of the word "Luann" on his left forearm, the words "SOA" on his neck in an Old English style, a reaper on his left shoulder and "Robur Wires" across his knuckles, this supposedly means writer or poet in ancient Greek.
Otto has a scar running across his left eye, he obtained this whilst serving a stint in prison in 2001; Otto only has about 10% vision in this eye as a result. In season two, Otto's right eye is stabbed out, leading him to wear thick reading glasses and an eyepatch, now severely visually impaired. In season five, Otto bites off his own tongue, leading him to be unable to speak.
Biography[]
Otto Delaney was born in Colma, California on September 29, 1963, and later became a member of SAMCRO. Eventually he married a pornstar, Luann Delaney, and gave her the money to start her own porn studio, Cara Cara, promising her she would never have to work in front of the camera again. Otto's endless love for Luann was his main weakness and there wasn't anything he wouldn't give up to keep her safe.
In the mid ‘90s, Otto was arrested for second-degree murder and vehicle theft and was given a six-year sentence in Stockton State Prison. However, he committed a number of crimes for SAMCRO while inside, and, as a result, his sentence was significantly lengthened. In March, 1997, he broke a man’s collarbones and two ribs. In August, 1999, he stabbed an informant, resulting in an additional two years. In December, 2001, he tried to broker a deal with GN that went south and he got his left eye slashed. He protected Chuckie "Chuck" Marstein, an accountant imprisoned for fraud, from the Lin Triad for 18 months. In 2009, as tensions rose between the Sons and the Aryan Brotherhood, Otto was beaten and stabbed in the eye by an Aryan named Squirrel, Otto would retaliate by stabbing Squirrel in the neck, killing him. Otto would next murder Ivo Alexei, a member of the Russian Mafia in retaliation for the stabbing of Jackson "Jax" Teller. These numerous murders would lead to Otto being prosecuted and eventually sentenced to death, a 6 year stretch spiralling fast because of his involvement with the Sons.
Otto loyalty would falter a few times, he was tricked by June Stahl of the ATF in 2008 in to giving up some older crimes committed by SAMCRO, his testimony would have led to a RICO investigation in to the Sons. Once Otto found out, he recanted his statement by shattering Stahl's nose.
After the murder of Luann, Otto trusted his brothers to do the right thing and deal with her killer. The Sons not only allowed the man responsible to live longer as it benefited them, Otto also discovered that Robert "Bobby Elvis" Munson, a fellow Son had been sleeping with his wife up until her death. Otto's loyalty was tested once again by this, still loyal to the Sons, however, he wanted revenge. Otto achieved this by murdering a prison nurse with a hidden weapon unintentionally smuggled in by Tara Knowles-Teller, Jackson "Jax" Teller's, the then President of SAMCRO's wife. Otto wanted Jax to feel the pain of losing a wife like he did, knowing that Tara would be an accessory to his murder.
This act would lead Otto to the most painful years of his life, as Lee Toric, the brother of the murdered nurse would use his deep connections as a US Marshall to make Otto's life hell. Subjecting him to torture on a regular basis while inside prison in an attempt to get him to flip on the Sons. Despite the abuse he endured on the inside, Otto never ratted on SAMCRO, even biting off his own tongue to prove he would never talk. Otto finally got his revenge, eventually being able to murder Toric himself by cutting his throat after he caught him off guard during one of his regular visits to Otto. Otto was swarmed by armed guards; after losing his freedom, eyesight, wife and going through unbearable trauma inside prison, he decided to go out on his own terms, he rushed the guards and was immediately riddled with bullets, finally putting an end to his suffering.
Personality[]
Otto was loyal to his club, no matter how much he had to suffer and protected SAMCRO until the end. He was quite an intelligent man, often reading books in prison. His one weakness however was his wife Luann who he asked the club to look after as his only favor. After she was killed, he ratted on the club for failing to look after her but later regretted turning and sought to make it right. He went as far as to bite off his own tongue in order to show that he is still loyal to SAMCRO, and as a statement to Lee Toric that he would never rat again.
Season 1[]
"Giving Back"[]
Charles "Chuckie" Marstein is beaten by members of the Lin Triad, he yells for help and Otto arrives with some other men and they beat down the members of the Triad, forcing them to leave Chuckie. Chuckie thanks Otto, reminding him he is going to be out tomorrow, Otto tells him that he will make sure he is protected on the outside.
Otto is visited by Clarence "Clay" Morrow and Jackson "Jax" Teller, the President and Vice President of SAMCRO. They agree to assist Otto and help out Chuckie, who has double crossed the Triad and is looking for some protection in exchange for some Chinese assets. Jax and Clay agree, Otto to reminds them to kick his share down to Luann Delaney, his wife and close friend of Gemma Teller Morrow, Clay's wife and Jax's stepfather.
"Better Half"[]
Otto receives a visit from ATF Agent June Stahl, she visits him in prison and tells him that Luann has been arrested and they found narcotics at the studio, enough to put her in prison for at least 10 years. Otto is visibly devastated and Stahl tells him that if he gives her some information on SAMCRO, she will release Luann, Otto of course refuses. Stahl orders for the cameras to be turned off and sits down with Otto. Stahl tells him that she has just had the SAMCRO case dumped on her, she doesn't really care about it and just needs something to bring back to her boss. If the intel is useless, she doesn't care. Stahl then tells Otto she knows he has a parole meeting in 3 months, if he assists, she can make sure that it works out for him this time. Otto seems genuinely interested, telling Stahl that he isn't as up to date with SAMCRO as he used to be, he only knows about past transgressions. Stahl says that her boss doesn't know that, Otto can just give her some dead information and it will all work out the same. Otto agrees, telling Stahl he wants it in writing and he wants to see Luann. Stahl says she will try and make it happen.
The following day, Luann has allowed her visit with Otto. Luann tells Otto that Jax says that ATF is using the RICO act against the club. Luann is very worried when Otto tells her that he has gotten her clear of the drug charges as SAMCRO will know that Otto ratted. Otto denies this, saying Luann shouldn't be concerned and he will get a message to the club.
Stahl enters the interrogation room with Otto, she has his typed and signed statements. Otto looks over the paperwork one final time but claims he doesn't have his glasses with him, Stahl leans in to read what is written to him when suddenly he jumps to his feet, grabbing Stahl's head and beating it against the metal table repeatedly. Officers soon rush in and beat and restrain Otto, who laughs to himself.
Season 2[]
"Small Tears"[]
Jax heads to Stockton to speak to Otto about Luann. Her studio has been raided by the feds. During the visit, Otto mentions that there is trouble breweing between the Aryan Brotherhood, he isn't sure what but it is worth keeping an eye on. Otto says that if Luann is out of the game for a while, her girls will be taken by other producers. Otto insinuates that the Sons owe Otto and Luann big time for what he did to Stahl, he doesn't want Luann to pay for it, they must help her. Jax promises to help Otto.
"Smite"[]
Otto performs his prison duty when he is approached by numerous AB members, sensing they are here for him, he attacks them with a mop, but is quickly outnumbered, the Aryans beat him before stabbing him in the eye with the broken mop.
"Fa Guan"[]
Jax visits Otto in prison, he delivers the devastating news of Luann's death to him, she was found beaten to death at the side of the road. Jax all but admits to Otto that it could be payback from Georgie Caruso, a rival of Luann who she was constantly feuding with, who the Sons attacked and threatened the same day Luann was killed. Otto asks Jax to leave as he profusely apologises to Otto.
"Na Trioblóidí"[]
Jax visits Otto, he reveals to Jax that after his attack by the AB, he only has 10% vision left. Jax tells Otto that it is time for retribution and he has some intel that the AB are going to want to know; Ethan Zobelle, leader of the League of American Nationalists, a white supremacist organisation that the Sons have been warring with and who are responsible for Otto's recent attack, is actually an FBI informant, Otto needs to spread the word to the AB shotcallers.
Otto is in the prison library when he finds Squirrel, the man who attacked him, Otto, with the help of another inmate shivs Squirrel to death.
Season 3[]
Otto’s murder of Squirrel, recorded on security cameras, is listed as just one more act in a pattern of aggressive behavior which will be used to get him the death penalty. Otto has to use a public defender who speaks poor English, and he admits that he does not have much of a defense.
Clay and Bobby Munson talk with him to arrange a visit with imprisoned First 9 member Lenny Janowitz, who has good relations with the Russian Mafia. Otto informs them about the status of his murder trial and tells him that he will see what he can do about Lenny.
Otto has a brief meeting with Lenny in the prison infirmary. They have a friendly chat and Otto tells him about Clay’s requests, which Lenny agrees to do. Otto passes this on through a coded message.
Season 4[]
Otto is sentenced to death, so he is on death row while several other SAMCRO members are in prison. When they are released after 14 months, they have a razor smuggled into his cell by a guard. He uses it to cut his wrists and is taken to the infirmary right next to Ivo Alexei, the Russian who shanked Jax Teller. Otto slips out of his restraints and stabs Alexei in the ear with a scalpel, also left for him, killing him.
Deputy Sheriff Gabe Marcel visits Otto in solitary confinement and tells him that traces of Bobby Munson’s semen were found in Luann’s underwear at the time of her death, insinuating that he was the one who killed her.
Despondent at this apparent betrayal, Otto talks with Gemma Teller Morrow, demanding that she tell the club to find who was responsible for Luann’s murder. Later, Bobby visits Otto, assuring him that he did not kill Luann and that she only loved Otto. He claims that Georgie Caruso was responsible and that SAMCRO killed him.
Deputy Marcel returns with proof that, not only was Caruso in Thailand at the time of Luann’s death, but that he is still alive as of yesterday. He reasserts that Bobby killed Otto’s old lady, and that, considering all that he has lost his freedom, his vision, his wife, his sanity, and has now been condemned to die for the Sons, “there is a substantial inequity at play here.” Otto questions Marcel’s job position, reasoning he has far more power and reach than a Deputy Sheriff should.
When Marcel visits Otto again, he is straight with him, admitting that actually he is an Assistant US Attorney named Lincoln Potter building a RICO case against SAMCRO, the True IRA, and the Galindo Cartel. Otto agrees to inform on Bobby in exchange for his money going to his sister-in-law, an appointment with an eye doctor for reading glasses, renewed privileges for Lenny Janowitz, an earlier execution date, and the chance to tell Bobby to his face that he ratted on him. Otto agrees to give up a number of crimes and to go into protective custody. All of Otto’s demands are met, except for Lenny’s privileges, so he refuses to sign his statement.
When Potter returns, he has gotten Lenny his privileges, so Otto signs the statement. He meets with Bobby and forces him to read the list of things Otto suffered for SAMCRO, telling him that he ratted because they failed to do the only thing he wanted in return, which was to protect Luann. Bobby calls Otto a “stupid little rat” and promises that he will “burn” as he is arrested.
Season 5[]
Otto is visited by a medical volunteer who identifies herself as Tara Knowles, Jax's wife. She tells him that his execution is stalled with the RICO case and that Bobby was not lying. SAMCRO wants him to reverse his statement or RICO will destroy the Sons. Otto wants oral sex in return, but she refuses and he tells her to never visit him again. She writes in her report that he has a staph infection, so he is confined to the infirmary and forced to take antibiotics.
Tara later returns and brings Otto a bottle of Luann’s perfume. She unhooks his hand from his restraints and, sobbing, he masturbates before Tara takes a blood sample. The next day, he agrees to sabotage his contribution to the RICO case, asking Tara to bring him Luann’s crucifix, which had belonged to his mother, because, when the test results come back negative, Tara will not have any more access to him. She brings him the crucifix, which he uses to pray, and then requests to go back to his cell. When he is freed from his restraints, he knocks out the orderly and repeatedly stabs the nurse in the throat with the crucifix, declaring, “Sons live, Redwood bleeds.”
In his cell, Otto is beaten with a metal pipe by an unknown man. The man visits him later, informing him that, "These next few months will be the most excruciatingly painful time of your sick and miserable life.”
Otto is chained up in an interrogation room and is questioned while the man who turns out to be Lee Toric, ex-US Marshal and brother of the nurse he killed, watches from behind the one-way glass. Refusing to speak, Otto slams his chin on the table and bites out his own tongue, throwing it at the one-way glass.
Season 6[]
Otto is raped in his cell by an inmate on Toric’s orders. Toric visits Otto and taunts him. He threatens SAMCRO and promises Otto that the rapes will continue every day. Later, Clay visits Otto and slips him a shiv to end his misery, whispering, “No more, brother.” Toric tells Otto that Clay is no longer a member of SAMCRO, and that ratting on him would not be ratting on the Sons, promising to make Otto very comfortable if he helps him out. Otto agrees, and writes something on a pad of paper. When Toric sees that it is a vulgar insult against his sister, he strangles him. Otto stabs him several times in the abdomen with the shiv and holds it to his throat. When two guards tell him to drop the weapon, Otto slashes Toric's throat and is shot multiple times in the chest, finally putting an end to his suffering.
Murders Committed[]
- Unnamed person - Killed in the second-degree (Before the events of Sons of Anarchy)
- Squirrel - Stabbed in the neck with a shiv ("Na Trioblóidí")
- Ivo Alexei - Stabbed in the ear with a shiv ("Out")
- Pamela Toric - Stabbed repeatedly in the neck with a crucifix necklace ("Crucifixed")
- Lee Toric - Throat slit with a shiv ("Wolfsangel")
Trivia[]
- Despite playing a fairly major recurring character in 20 episodes across six seasons, series creator Kurt Sutter is uncredited for Otto's every appearance.
- In the episode "Na Trioblóidí," Otto listens to a recording of “The Progress of Nihilism,” an essay by William Barry that was published in the 1886 edition of The Dublin Review. Notably, it contains the phrase “sons of anarchy.” Consequently, he is the only club member besides John Teller shown to have any knowledge of, or interest in actual philosophical anarchism.
- Kurt Sutter originally planned for Otto to be executed, a plot which begins in "NS" when Otto is revealed to be on death row, but eventually decided it was implausible for him to keep getting away with murders in prison and had him commit suicide by cop.
- Otto's death is similar to that of Sutter's character on The Shield, Magos Dezerian, who was also shot in the chest. Otto suffered more, however, losing both eyes and his tongue over the course of the series. In Sutter's next project, The Bastard Executioner, he plays a character called "The Dark Mute," possibly a reference to Otto's loss of his tongue, who is horribly burned and even more mutilated than Otto.
Gallery[]
Appearances[]
 Season 1 appearances
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| "Pilot" | "Seeds" | "Fun Town" | "Patch Over" | "Giving Back" |
| "AK-51" | "Old Bones" | "The Pull" | "Hell Followed" | "Better Half" |
| "Capybara" | "The Sleep of Babies" | "The Revelator" | ||
| Season 2 appearances
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| "Albification" | "Small Tears" | "Fix" | "Eureka" | "Smite" |
| "Falx Cerebri" | "Gilead" | "Potlatch" | "Fa Guan" | "Balm" |
| "Service" | "The Culling" | "Na Trioblóidí" | ||
| Season 3 appearances
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| "SO" | "Oiled" | "Caregiver" | "Home" | "Turning and Turning" |
| "The Push" | "Widening Gyre" | "Lochán Mór" | "Turas" | "Fírinne" |
| "Bainne" | "June Wedding" | "NS" | ||
| Season 4 appearances
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| "Out" | "Booster" | "Dorylus" | "Una Venta" | "Brick" |
| "With An X" | "Fruit For The Crows" | "Family Recipe" | "Kiss" | "Hands" |
| "Call of Duty" | "Burnt and Purged Away" | "To Be, Act 1" | "To Be, Act 2" | |
| Season 5 appearances
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| "Sovereign" | "Authority Vested" | "Laying Pipe" | "Stolen Huffy" | "Orca Shrugged" |
| "Small World" | "Toad's Wild Ride" | "Ablation" | "Andare Pescare" | "Crucifixed" |
| "To Thine Own Self" | "Darthy" | "J'ai Obtenu Cette" | ||
| Season 6 appearances
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| "Straw" | "One One Six" | "Poenitentia" | "Wolfsangel" | "The Mad King" |
| "Salvage" | "Sweet and Vaded" | "Los Fantasmas" | "John 8:32" | "Huang Wu" |
| "Aon Rud Persanta" | "You Are My Sunshine" | "A Mother's Work" | ||