Mayor Rob Ford’s latest spiral into substance abuse began on St. Patrick’s Day weekend just over a month ago, with a party at an exclusive Toronto club that helped provide booze to the past two Ford Fests.

On March 15, the Saturday just before St. Patrick’s Day, the mayor took four men he had met outside city hall back to his house, ordered a party bus, took them down to Muzik nightclub and proceeded to drink to excess, according to eyewitnesses to the evening.

Ford disappeared into the washroom at one point, and emerged close to an hour later appearing heavily impaired, babbling that his wife and children do not like him and “I am in over my head.”

People who were with Ford on March 15 and on a second night, in April, say they believed he was doing drugs. On the April night, an eyewitness saw him doing lines of cocaine.

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On March 15, an hour before he disappeared into a washroom at Muzik, Ford ran into pop star Justin Bieber in a common area of the exclusive nightclub near Toronto’s waterfront, according to witnesses. Ford tried to shake Bieber’s hand and became enraged when Bieber jokingly asked him, “Did you bring any crack to smoke?”

Security ushered Ford back to his party booth, where he was entertained, along with the four men, by three paid party hostesses. The Star has been unable to reach Bieber for comment.

This March 15 event, which extended until 5 a.m. on March 16, is one of two wild nights Ford had at the night club in the past month.

It shows a pattern of bad behaviour that, according to reports in two other Toronto newspapers, continued this past weekend with drinking, apparent drug-taking and lewd comments.

According to three sources with knowledge of Ford’s visits to Muzik, owner Zlatko Starkovski has told staff at the club that “Rob Ford is our best customer. His money is no good here.”

The Star’s ongoing investigation of Ford shows close ties with Starkovski, who is listed on the provincial liquor licence for the last two Ford Fests — giant parties for Ford supporters where free drinks and food are served. Starkovski, and people who work for him, are listed as registered lobbyists in their attempts to contact city council members to seek improvements to the nightclub’s deal at Exhibition Place.

Alcohol and Gaming Commission catering forms obtained by the Star show that the liquor licences for both the July 5 and Sept. 20 Ford Fests were obtained by Starkovski, the president of Muzik Clubs Inc. Starkovski is listed as the licence holder and provincial rules state the licence holder is responsible for the “sale and service of alcohol” at an event.

Ford would not respond to questions about this.

Councillor Doug Ford, the mayor’s brother, would not discuss the arrangement that saw Muzik catering to thousands of people at both Ford Fests, one on July 5, 2013, the other two months later on Sept. 20. He said the most recent Ford Fests were a “private party” and that the Star should be “very, very careful” about what it writes. He then hung up.

Starkovski did not respond to questions about his friendship with Ford or his club’s involvement in supporting Ford Fest. At various times, Muzik has asked for either an extension of its lease or to get competing rave parties banned at other Exhibition Place locations.

A senior municipal source said it is well known that Ford and Starkovski are close and that “Ford likes going to Muzik because it is a place he feels comfortable and safe doing whatever he wants to do.”

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Ford’s March 15 night at Muzik began innocently enough, with the slightly tipsy mayor outside city hall around 10 p.m. Torontonians will recall that was the occasion when a youth recorded the mayor using foul language and getting into a taxi with four men. It was unclear at the time if they were friends.

He had just met the men near the Nathan Phillips Square skating rink, according to two sources, and invited them back to his house, a 25-minute drive northwest to central Etobicoke. Ford has a wife and two young children but it was not known if they were home at that time.

After getting to his house, Ford called a “party bus,” which came and drove them all back south and then east to the Ex grounds.

Muzik is a nightclub that has a lease to operate on Saturday nights and select other nights.

The upscale club is described on its website this way:

“MUZIK defies convention each and every Saturday. With an unprecedented degree of luxury and service, MUZIK provides its guests with first-class treatment from the moment they arrive. Guests who book suites will be escorted to their private booth by MUZIK’s hostesses and will then enjoy private premium bottle service as well as gourmet cuisine from the Muzik Dinner Club,” according to the description.

Ford and his new entourage showed up around midnight and were ushered into a private booth. Three party hostesses were told to hand over their phones, according to sources with knowledge of the night. The Star has been told by people familiar with Muzik that this is typical behaviour when Ford arrives.

Bieber was there that night, partying in a common area. Ford left the booth to say hello and had a run-in with Bieber, who jokingly asked if Ford had any crack cocaine. Angered, Ford blustered back to his private booth.

People familiar with his activities over the next five hours (at least two partygoers, a Canadian actress and a Bieber follower tweeted that Ford and Bieber were there but did not provide details) say that Ford drank to excess and at one point went to a private washroom. He emerged 45 minutes later and was incoherent and rambling.

“My wife and children hate me. I am in over my head,” Ford reportedly said.

A cleaner at Muzik had to go into the bathroom and clean up vomit left after Ford exited. Two sources told the Star that Ford returned to the table and kept drinking, staying at the club until 5 a.m.

A few weeks after this event, on April 5, Ford was at the Air Canada Centre, apparently drunk and belligerent, and was barred from an executive lounge. He left and made his way to Muzik. According to witnesses, Ford slipped into a closed-off part of the club with two females and another male. He emerged an hour later disoriented and apparently high.

Ford said that night that his mother and father were never there for him and commented that “no one knows what I'm going through.”

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

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