INSIDER INVESTIGATION
over territory,” Ramer told the press. One detail remains unclear about the Police’s assertion that that these incidents involving the towing community qualify as a battle—or, as several department officials referred to it, a “turf war.” That detail? Which people or groups are alleged to have taken up arms in opposition to the Chester Le gang members and associates? Tow pros caught in the crossfire In the run-up to the attacks, several members of the towing community say the dangers operators faced from roadside attacks had increased. In the early hours of December 23, three tow trucks were set ablaze in Hamilton, Despite police claims with the crimes all reported to Hamilton Police in the same one-hour period. that the attacks on towto have a significant long-term towing industry were suspected of being ing professionals and involved in two open murder investigations, impact. their vehicles were “Raids are conducted, guys get DiManno makes it clear that the operators related to an ongoing charged, defendants cycle through involved are not representative of the industry. ‘turf war,’ police did not the justice system, they’re replaced In fact, she goes as far as to suggest that there provide evidence to in a gang hierarchy or resume their is no clear evidence available to the public that suggest the thuggish roles upon release from prison and ties towing operators to narcotics trafficking. acts were being recip“While details were scarce, it sounds like nothing much changes,” DiManno rocated. the tow truck faction was not necessarily In fact, even drivers Abrams Towing CEO Joey Gagne says some “bad wrote. involved with drug trafficking, which is at the from businesses with apples” are tainting the towing industry. core of gang activity. Rather, their interests Concerning coverage stainless reputations had been on the receiving ends of violence. Though a depressing read for industry pro- may have dovetailed with the Chester Le Earlier in the year, a driver from Abrams fessionals, DiManno’s piece—which is, even crew – a means to an end in what is alleged Towing was pulled from a vehicle and beaten six months after the news about the Chester to be a turf-protection racket.” Unfortunately, in other passages, the piece in a roadside attack. The driver suffered brain Le gang’s connections to the towing sector injuries and was unable to recall much about came to light, the most significant piece of veers perilously close to slanderous, describing journalism on the story—is admirably defen- roadside clients of tow truck operators as the attack. In an interview after the incident with sive about the towing industry’s reputation. being viewed as “prey”. “And, while many of us are familiar with While the piece mentions that the Toronto yorkregion.com, Joey Gagne, the CEO of Abrams Towing—and a past president of Star had discovered that members of the the intense get-there-first competition among the Provincial Towing Association of Ontario—told a reporter that it wasn’t the first such altercation his drivers had experienced. “It has not been normal [for] the last year or so,” Gagne said.“We’ve had drivers harassed and intimidated.” Early warning signs The spectre of a relapse of criminality affecting the towing sector was predicted by Toronto Star columnist Rosie DiManno, shortly after the Chester Le round-up. In her column June 28 column, which covered the intersection of guns, narcotics and tow trucks, DiManno suggested the round-up would be unlikely Just before Christmas, a series of tow truck arson attacks took place across the GTA, sending a chill down the spines of the area’s towing professionals.
FEBRUARY 2020 COLLISION REPAIR 83