True Crime

Rob Ford, Toronto’s Crack Smoking Mayor

A picture in privilege — Ford gets rehab, the men he was with get death and jail

I’m not sure if this truly qualifies as a crime or not.

Since it does involve an illegal substance, I’m going to say it’s a crime.

In 2010 Toronto was burdened by an ill-kempt, sloppy buffoon of a man for Mayor. Rob Ford loved the spotlight. He loved power and being in charge. You could see it every time he entered council or was lapping up life on television.

Under his leadership, the city spent more time in the news for Rob’s language, his behaviour, and of course, the video of him smoking crack circa 2013.

The Ford brothers were colourful characters. Rob was Trump, before Trump. Maybe that’s why his brother Doug, our current Ontario Premier, made his way to the US after Trump was elected. The man camped out of a hotel hoping for an audience with…Trump. Could be he missed his brother and Trump was a walking reminder.

Here’s a video of Rob speaking Jamaican patois while ordering food.

The videos are hilarious without a doubt. They’re also really cringy and sad. The man was a public official and an addict.

Toronto’s CAMH (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health) offers the 4 Cs as an easy-to-remember for addiction:

Craving

Loss of Control of amount or frequency of use

Compulsion to use

Use despite Consequences.

Rob Ford was Toronto’s 64th mayor when his friend and driver Sandro Lisi, navigated the roads on the west side of the city, taking him to meet up with some guys to hang out and party.

At the house they’re traveling to, Toronto’s 64th mayor will smoke crack. Ford will be recorded smoking and speaking on tape. His friend Sandro Lisi will threaten the men who (rightfully) videotaped the (then) mayor.

It’s unknown who recorded the video — that information has never been released. The videographer will try to sell the video to Gawker in the US, but the tape’s owner will back out of the deal. Subsequently, Toronto police will seize a hard drive with the video.

This is still to come.

On the night in question, Lisi opens the car door and Ford exits. Checking around to ensure they’re alone, Lisi escorts Ford to the door then returns to the car to wait.

Ford’s craving drives him to enter the door and despite the consequences to his job as mayor, to his family, and his reputation Ford is compelled to pick up the crack pipe.

The tape’s author will attempt to sell the video they’ve made of the mayor. Sandro Lisi threatens the men, trying to force them to not release the tape, earning himself a police indictment for harassment and intimidation.

In the meantime, Toronto wakes up to the latest scandal, our city a joke in headlines around the world. Without specifying his “mistakes” Rob Ford will apologize yet refuse to step down as Mayor.

Addiction is a terrible tragedy and Rob Ford was an addict who needed help. And he got it.

Unlike Mario Barry in the US who served six months in a Federal jail, Ford got rehab, which was the correct course of action.

But the men who were with Rob Ford, none of whom were white, and who was not on camera with the Mayor, they didn’t fare as well. Their story and their lives were treated as “incidental.” All non-white, one man is dead, two were jailed and the last person, the video taker — their identity continues to remain anonymous.

The charges against Ford’s friend and driver, Sandro Lisi were dropped in 2013 and the tape was released to the public.

The former Mayor was diagnosed with cancer and died on March 22, 2016.