Ford lunches with Chuvalo at ritzy steakhouse
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford had a raucous campaign lunch at a renowned Toronto steak house this week with George Chuvalo, the boxing great who became an anti-drug crusader, and Marvin “The Weasel” Elkind, a former driver for Mafia bosses who became Canada’s most prolific police informant.
Also at the lunch meeting at Barberians Steakhouse on Wednesday was current Canadian boxing champion Nevin Pajkic; former boxer Bill Lehman; and private security firm vice-president Tom Doyle.
The connection of Mr. Chuvalo — who turned his fame into being a powerful spokesman against drugs after loosing three sons in drug-related incidents — to Mayor Ford, who notoriously admitted to smoking crack cocaine and heavy drinking and is connected to accused drug trafficker Sandro Lisi, is a curious one.
“We were just having a nice lunch, just letting them know that we’re pulling for him,” said Mr. Chuvalo in an interview Friday. “I’m hoping he stays in as mayor. I think he’s a good mayor. He’s a good person.”
Mr. Chuvalo, who famously went the distance with Muhammad Ali at Maple Leaf Gardens in 1966, said he has known the Ford brothers for decades. Randy, the eldest, used to be friends with Chuvalo’s son, Georgie Lee Chuvalo, who died of a drug overdose in 1993.
“It isn’t like I see Rob every day of his life,” he said, but they go to the same gym — Fitness 365, near Kipling and the 401 — so they are in touch. “I let him know if he needs any door knocking, I’ ll be there with him.”
“We’re going to back him up in the campaign. I think Rob is going to win,” said Mr. Doyle, vice-president of Loss Prevention Services. Electioneering will be on a volunteer basis, he said.
Mr. Doyle dismissed suggestions Mr. Chuvalo should avoid Mayor Ford because of his drug connections.
“A guy like George, he can help Rob. We see Rob in the gym and George always tells him, keep off the drugs, keep off the booze, keep going to the gym,” said Mr. Doyle.
Last year, Mayor Ford gave Mr. Chuvalo the key to the city of Toronto, in part for his anti-drug activism for young people.
“I want him to be on the straight and narrow, and I think he wants to be on the straight and narrow,” Mr. Chuvalo said of the mayor. “When he’s working out, it’s a step in the right direction.”
Mr. Elkin was a driver for crooked U.S. Teamster boss Jimmy Hoffa in the 1950s and then drove Montreal Mafia boss Vic Cotroni. He continued working with mob- sters, fraudsters and con men until he was caught up in a scandal that pushed him into the hands of police.
He then became a prolific police informant, working for 30 years as an undercover operative, documented in a recent book.
Although Barberians is known for steak, Mayor Ford had salad with grilled chicken, Mr. Doyle said. Most of the others had lamb chops or steaks.
“There was no wine or booze,” said Mr. Elkind. “No alcohol was at the table, only drinks we had was cranberry and pineapple juice. Which I ordered for everyone.”