The house where Mayor Rob Ford was photographed with murder victim Anthony Smith and another shooting victim is notorious for drug problems, according to people living in the area.

Police frequently visit the house in response to calls from concerned neighbours, with the most recent visit coming shortly after news broke almost three weeks ago of a video that appears to show the mayor smoking crack cocaine.

Several police cars showed up at 15 Windsor Rd. early one morning within days of the first stories about the video, according to neighbours.

The image of Ford with three young men in front of the house is not part of the video. It was provided to the Star by a man who later showed the video to two Star reporters. Ford has denied the video’s existence and says he does not use crack cocaine.

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The Star’s ongoing investigation has determined that the photograph of Ford posing with Smith and two other young men was taken in front of the garage at 15 Windsor Rd. in northern Etobicoke.

The rundown bungalow is on a pleasant street of well-kept homes a short distance from the Dixon Rd. apartment building near where the Star viewed the 90-second video.

Toronto police Det. Rob Gallant, who was investigating a shooting in the Dixon Rd. building on Tuesday, May 21, is also investigating an incident at 15 Windsor that same day, according to police at 23 Division.

According to police spokesperson Mark Pugash, at approximately 11 p.m. police responded to 15 Windsor Rd. for an assault in progress. A man forced his way inside the house and assaulted two people with a weapon. He fled on foot. A victim was taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries. No arrests have been made yet. The investigation continues.

The Dixon Rd. shooting was on the same floor that sources tell the Star Ford had earlier identified to some of his staff as a place where the video could be found.

The Star has looked into this and been told by people in the neighbourhood, and by Toronto Police, that it was an accidental shooting involving people who were drunk and that it is not related to the video.

Toronto police and neighbourhood sources say the shooting, which left a man wounded in the leg, was unrelated to the video.

Residents of the house on Windsor Rd. include Mario Basso, 40; Fabio Basso, 45; and Elena Basso, 51. The house is owned by their mother, Lina, who also lives at the home. Their father, a retired bricklayer, passed away in 2009. The family came to Canada in the 1950s and have lived on the street since at least 1972.

“Rob Ford’s the greatest mayor ever. You guys are scavengers,” Elena said in a brief encounter with the Toronto Star. “You come back to my house, I’ll call the police.”

Fabio refused to come to the door.

A visitor to the home Wednesday said that Fabio Basso and Ford know each other from high school.

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David Profitt, 45, stopped by to visit the Basso family on his way to the airport. He told the Star Basso attended Scarlett Heights high school for one year. Ford also attended Scarlett Heights and the men are one year apart in age.

“I know all these guys. I grew up in Etobicoke,” said Profitt, who added he also went to high school with Ford.

Mayor Ford and other members of his staff did not respond to written questions about his presence at the house. The Star sent those questions on Tuesday at noon and has not heard back.

In the photograph the Star published May 18 along with the story of the video, Ford is in the centre. On his right is Anthony Smith; on his left are two other young men.

Both Smith and one of the two young men were shot this year near a nightclub, with Smith dying that night. The other victim was hit in the arm and back but survived the shooting.

After Star reporters Jesse McLean and Tim Alamenciak located the home by comparing the Ford photo to houses in the area around Dixon Rd. and Kipling Ave., reporters tried on numerous occasions to reach people living in the bungalow.

This week the Star was able to speak to Elena twice, and both times she immediately accused reporters of being “scavengers.”

Fabio refused to comment when approached by the Star as he exited a local TD Canada Trust on Tuesday. He jumped on a bicycle and pedalled away, turning back to give an obscene gesture.

On Windsor Rd., four neighbours from different houses told the Star that they have for years had concerns of drug activity at number 15. They say the house seems to be the centre for drug activity spilling over from the nearby apartments and that young men have been seen coming and going from the house.

In 2011, concerns about people with drugs and guns leaving the Dixon Rd. apartment building and walking north onto Windsor Rd. led to a request to ward councillor Doug Ford to close the walkway.

“Windsor Road residents maintain that the presence of this pedestrian connection aggravates crime and vandalism in the area, and have asked the Ward Councillor to have it closed,” a city report from October 2011 states.

The walkway was closed. The report to the city noted that about 300 children attending schools in the area typically used the walkway from the Dixon Rd. apartments.

Kevin Donovan can be reached at (416) 312-3503 or kdonovan@thestar.ca

Robyn Doolittle can be reached at (647) 404-4740 or rdoolittle@thestar.ca













