CTV’s W5 Kicks off season with segment on "Nightmare on Quebec Street"

21-12-2009 2-54-23 PM

From CTV News Release:

In “Nightmare on Quebec Street”, also featured in this episode, W5’s Investigative Reporter Victor Malarek examines a Toronto neighbourhood where many area residents have experienced harassment and vandalism– no one more so than Carmela Canino, an 87-year-old widow. For eight years, she was subjected to a vicious campaign that saw her windows smashed, her family threatened and even dead animals left in her yard. Malarek chronicles the community’s effort to catch the tormentors and have them banished from the neighbourhood.

The episode premieres on Saturday, Jan. 2 at 7 p.m. ET (visit CTV.ca for local listings).

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19 Comments

I'm sorry, Dave, but if you never saw anything, how would you know if 8 years was an exaggeration? The people who were involved in this went through hell, whether or not you happened to notice. You are among the lucky ones. Be happy for that and please don't diminish what others had to endure.

As I said I live in that stretch of Quebec and never saw a thing and I know the 2 men, not personally but enough to say hello and I would never have suspected this in a million years. Maybe I don't have victim tattooed across my forehead.

So how come multiple victims suffered for 8 years and nothing was done? It doesn't add up, it is a big exaggeration to sell the story.

Yes Dave its true, an 87 year old lady had nothing better to do with her time than exaggerate her story so she could play the victim.

Perhaps you'd like to tell the Major Crimes unit at 11 Division that they exaggerated how serious the situation was. Or the businesses on Dundas that had their windows smashed repeatedly. Or my dear friend who ended up in the hospital. Or the judge that called Ralph a terrorist and said she had never seen anything "even approaching this magnitude."

It must be a case of mass exaggeration, particularly on the part of the 26 people Ralph is not allowed to have contact with because they all have victim tattooed on their foreheads.

Or maybe, Dave, you have no idea what you're talking about.

Dave you know not of what you speak. A police major crimes unit would be not be involved in something that was simply being exaggerated by the media. Of all of the people I know and have met (many) who were victimized not one of them has "victim tattooed" across their forehead. Perhaps you should take some time to gather for yourself some information about our "lovely" neighbours before you spout off and make stupid remarks on a subject about which you are so ill informed. Oh, and if you live "on this stretch of Quebec" were you not aware of the take down of these individuals in July 2008 "on this strech of Quebec"? Hmm, perhaps not the most observant of our neighbours.

Well, I don't live on Quebec avenue, and I do know some of the victims, and I can honestly say that I'd be almost as horrified by a neighbour like "Dave" who can be this oblivious to such a prolonged and horrible experience happening around him. Don't let him join the Neighbourhood Watch please.

Dave and Roger, I think are protecting their a** in case these two morons ever return. The two morons think they are in the mafia and can win through intimidation.

It shows how inteligent the Scala's are that Ralph can't even keep a delivery boy job and retaliates by throwing rocks through the restaurant's window.

me: well Thank God This guy is Banned from the junction…?
Duhh : Till When?
Me: till 2012!!
Duhh: SHould be more
Me: Yeah the should be isolated. somewhere else on planet earth. maybe some 3world country.
Duhh: YEah
Me: Ralph Scala is a Grade A idiot. coward tugg that hires teens to do his dirty work
SHAME ON YOU RALPHPA

Did anyone watch W5, these 2 cowards were caught on tape doing their nasty business and I call them cowards because they had some little loser doing their own dirty work. Hey Dave, you sound like a bully yourself with your stupid comments about victims. Don't revictimize what this neighbourhood had to go through.

I grew up in the bloor west village / junction area ( and still live in the area) . I knew Ralph Scala from grade school. He was known as a loser then ( to be fair I was one of those nerd/loser kids too) but around grade 9 he had progessively become worse. I know he was accused of minor thefts, but to stoop this low is pretty sad. Its too bad there isn't some law or loophole in this kind of situation that would force the Scala circus to sell their home and relocate elsewhere (based solely on the damage they did to this neighbourhood) .

Anon, in England they have something called an ASBO (Anti-Social Behaviour Order) that does just what you recommend. It doesn't carry the same burden of proof as criminal law and the court will also accept third-party testimonials. I was disappointed that the W-Five story didn't touch on the lack of legislation we have here to protect people from this sort of relentless harassment. That, in large part, is what took so long to get the police involved. Quite often their stories end with some sort of call to action – not so here.

This sounds like my neighbour. But we are in Mississauga, I got my car keyed and have surveilance video of him and his friends damaging my property. I have called everywhere I can think of but all they say is "it's a neighbour dispute. So you have to take civil action. People like these break the law, terrorize good citizens and for some reason it takes the law a long time to respond. We have been dealing with this guy for 4 years now and I am in the process of taking civil action. Also my other neighbours are also having problems with these people. Some are scared to take action because of what they think these idiots will do. Well I am sick of being a prisoner in my own home and I refuse to move or be terorized by these people anymore. I am not doing anything to them but they think my property is theirs. Enough is enough.

We, as a community, really need to ensure that these two guys are not allowed back into the Junction. Not only do I fear for all the residents, but I think something more drastic may happen to them, if they return!

Happens all the time. Most crimes like these never even get reported as the cops don't give a damn until it results in legs being broken. Even if reported, they will not do anything. Then they charge the people defending their property and persons.

Judges, well, drunk and they know they will be back. Helps justify a bloated legal system.

Unfortunately this street still has the problem and probably will result in old fashioned justice.

Could not believe my eyes and ears when I watched this episode,"my story!"I lived 2 years next to nightmere neighbours who not only harrassed me but nieghbors as well.I thought completely helpless at times to the relentlessness of their terror,untill I started to document,in writing,pictures and seeking legal advice(police were not helpful) this helped me feel impowered and not so helpless.People like this cannot stop being bully's they slip up eventually and when they do you can use the legal system to put them in check.I moved as a result,life is to short and guess what? My bad luck changed,no more flat tires,broken windshields,threats ect…ect…But not before this father and son duo were taken to court and a piece bond inforced on them.In good conscience I could not leave unless I created some kind of track record(legally)so that the new owners would not have to endure what I did.I am so glad that w-5 did this story there were times when I thought hey i have to be imaginning all this,it was so surreal.Now I know that I wasn't and that I did the right thing,meaning I walked on the legal side of the st and I did not feed into their criminal behavior it is the only way to go.Bully's don't like law abiding individuals,they are cowards at heart.I don't feel alone anymore thx to the victims that had the courage to tell their story and the team at w-5 for the intelligence,the know how and the professionalism in telling this very real story that so may people live everyday with no end in sight.There is hope.

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