Mayor Rob Ford tried to speak with inmate in late-night visit to Toronto jail

When it comes to making bizarre late-night appearances, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is a chess master. Or perhaps more accurately, one of those three card Monte street performers who keep you looking over here when your card is really over here.

Over here is the video of a stumbling Ford appearing at a Toronto street festival and bellowing, “Let’s go party.” But over there, where few bother to look, is a bizarre late-night appearance at a Toronto jail, at which Ford appears to have hid the visit’s true intentions behind the guise of official business.

The Globe and Mail reports that Ford appeared at the Toronto West Detention Centre one night in late March and requested an official tour of the premises.

Multiple sources told the newspaper that when the tour was denied, being well after visiting hours were over, he demanded to speak with an inmate named Bruno Bellissimo.

Ford’s appearance and requests were so confounding that correctional officials were reportedly forced to describe the encounter in an email to the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services.

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As the Globe points out, correctional services were left wondering why Ford "visited at such an odd hour, why he was indirect about the purpose of his visit and why he needed to speak with Mr. Bellissimo, a 43-year-old who has had run-ins with police and has what numerous sources describe as a history of drug-related activity."

Bellissimo appears to be an old acquaintance of Ford’s, and was one grade separated from another familiar name: Fabio Basso.

Basso is the old friend whose house Ford was recently photographed outside of with three young men tied to an Etobicoke gang. He is also the man who was attacked in his house days after news leaked of an alleged video of Ford smoking from a crack pipe.

[ More Brew: ‘Let’s go party,’ Rob Ford demands in street festival video ]

What was the purpose of Ford’s late-night sojourn to a Toronto jail? We may never know. (Although the timing, just days before the crack video allegations were first made, is notable.) Ford refused to answer questions about it, and then accused the Globe reporter of harassment.

Once upon a time, it was only Toronto Star reporters accused of harassing Ford. But after this Globe report, and this from the Toronto Sun, the accusation will have to do triple duty.

Deny, deny, deny. And when you can’t deny any further, you accused someone of harassment and shuffle the cards again. It’s the way things work in Ford’s city hall.

Nothing about the visit to the Toronto West Detention Centre was above board. It was a dubious and questionable appearance for a mayor, for a friend of an inmate, for a member of the general public.

Not that it matters to Ford. Few rules or regulations exist that can’t be bent with the right sort of response. Deny, deny, change the story. Shuffle the cards.

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