Manzo warns Jones: 'I have a file on you'

The day that Mayor Rowswell sent his controversial Email to Joe Fratesi, Ward 6 Councillor Frank Manzo was so disgusted he wanted the mayor's trip cut short.

SooToday News has learned, however, that Manzo sent a fiery message of his own last month, cautioning Ward 5 Councillor Duane Jones that "I have a file on you" and "I will bring it out some day."

Manzo's correspondence was released to us by City Solicitor Lorie Bottos in response to our freedom-of-information request for all records involving Mayor Rowswell and other members of the municipal team visiting Japan and Russia, for the period Feb. 2-15.

Under Ontario's Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, the City must release all relevant documents in its possession, except for those portions for which specific legal authority can be cited for withholding them.

Two of the released messages were authored by Manzo, who writes with less-than-perfect style and spelling.

In one message, Manzo is angry that Jones hung up on him during a telephone conversation about marine transportation.

Accusing Jones of being in a "fantacy land" (sic) and of "dreaming," Manzo then advises Jones: "I have a file on you from what you said about me in the by-election in ward 6," and "I will bring it out some day, and it all in writing of what you said about me."

"He'd better watch every move he makes" Contacted by SooToday.com about these comments, Manzo insisted "this is between him and I" and was critical of Jones for forwarding his Email to others.

"I've lots of things I can catch him on," Manzo told us. "He'd better watch every move he makes, from here on in."

Manzo confirmed having a file on Jones but said it's a "personal file" and he refused to allow SooToday.com to examine the contents.

The following are full-text versions of two Frank Manzo-related messages obtained by SooToday News. Material within square brackets has been added by us for clarification. No attempt has been made to edit the following for spelling or grammar.

**************************** FROM: [Councillor] FRANK MANZO SR. SENT: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 08, 2002 2:42 PM TO: JOE FRATESI SUBJECT: JAPAN-RUSSIA FREELOADING Joe and City Councillors:

Joe I have reviewed all the corespondence of all the e-mails etc. I have never seen all the nonsence on this trip to to Japan and Russia, I never encountered this situation in all the twenty six (26) consecutive years on city council and now I am entering my twenty Seventh year (27) as this seems to me that I am falling into a leap year.

I do not like the words in the Mayors corespondence and usin words like" Shit " " Pissed "Etc". If this is going to be like this a "WAR WITH WORDS" I am requesting that this trip be cut OFF SHORT AND HA VBE THEM RETURN TO THE SAULT IMMEDIATLY.

Remember on the books and files of city hall that there is NO OUT OF THE PROVINCE TRAVELING and this still applies to all members of city councill as well as Staff. Ifthis is to carry on I for one now is requesting to have all persons in Japan from the Sault city Hall returned Immediatly. I am not going to tollerate this any longer. Joe and Sharon you have my permission to relay this message to the other members of city council. I am leaving this at your discrestion. Thanks Joe, Frustrated Frank.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: THE COPY OF THIS EMAIL SUPPLIED TO SOOTODAY.COM HAS A HANDWRITTEN ANNOTATION INITIALED BY SHARON ROBERTSON, JOE FRATESI'S ASSISTANT, INDICATING THAT THIS EMAIL WAS "NOT RELAYED".

**************************** FROM: [Councillor] DUANE JONES TO: JOE FRATESI, [Councillors] DERIK BRANT, NEIL DELBIANCO CC: [Councillors] LOU TURCO, JAMIE CIACCO, DEBBIE AMAROSO, DAVID ORAZZIETTI, [Mayor] JOHN ROWSWELL SENT: THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2002 12:26 AM SUBJECT: RE: TRAVEL EXPENSES Hello folks, I am still going through my mail while still in jet lag mode but I came across an interesting e-mail from Mr. Manzo. My questions to all of you is, are any of you getting this kind of mail? I will give you some background information from my side first. I received a phone call from Frank just before I left for Japan in which he asked me about the deep sea dock and some concerns that he had about the depth of it. I tried to elevate his concerns by letting him know that we are looking at it from the transportation committee and that there are some people who are very knowledgeable about the harbor that are going to report back to us. With that he began (as always) to go on a little tangent about how he studied that harbor and that he knows everything about the harbor and what the hell did I know about transportation at all! I informed him that I have been in the transportation business all of my life including 14 years with one of the most knowledgeable logistics businesses in the world (U.P.S.) and that I certainly do not pretend to know everything about transportation but was not the least knowledgeable either! He began to tell me that working for a mail carrier does not count and that a monkey could do that job. He on the other hand tells me that he does know everything about transportation and that I should listen to him that he knows it all and the rest of us nothing. Apparently according to Frank we are all wrong in our way of thinking and he is intent on putting things back the way that it was and that most of us had now right to be on council. With that I hung up the phone on him. I am writing this to all of you because I think you know me well enough that I do not get excited about much but when my integrity and intellect are insulted the gloves come off!

I am attaching an e-mail to all of you that I just opened from Frank and for your perusal.

Thanks, Duane.

**************************** FROM: [Councillor] FRANK MANZO TO: [Councillor] DUANE JONES

Duane It is ignorant on your part to hang up the phone in my face you do not want to listen to the facts, you are in fantacy land and you are dreaming.

I have a file on you from what you said about me in the By-Election in ward 6 as I will bring it out some day, and it all in writing of what you said about me, I will be talking to some people of your actions. Face the music.

Duane quit being a PERTENTIONIST.

**************************** Sunday on SooToday.com, we'll tell how behind-the-scenes maneuvering by City staff and councillors persuaded the Mayor against signing a Russian agreement in front of Prime Minister Jean Chretien and Premier Mike Harris

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