Aldo Martino and the Ontario Libs?

TITLE UPDATE: Martino supported BOTH the Ontario Libs and Tories
- - See bottom for update - -

Small Dead Animals is asking if the current Ontario government quietly buried the file regarding the "Royal Crest" Retirement Homes fiasco, reported by CTV's W5 several years ago.

Let's have some fun and follow the money... from CTV

"But dispersed to whom? In Royal Crest's final year of business under the Martinos, John and Aldo each paid themselves $300,000. But right after Royal Crest went under, the brothers both declared personal bankruptcy, stating they were only worth $10,000 each. But for a couple of guys claiming to be almost broke, they are actually living pretty well. John Martino lives in a waterfront mansion in Burlington, Ontario and Aldo lives in a million dollar home in Ancaster. John has a fleet of expensive cars, including a Hummer and two Mercedes Benzes, and the whole family enjoyed Aldo's Prowler, a boat worth an estimated $300,000. But not one of those assets – or any of the brothers' other properties – is in either brother's name."

Ancaster, Ontario. Right?

POLITICAL DONATIONS TO THE ONTARIO LIBERAL PARTY, 1996-2002
(from the Elections Ontario Website)

2002 - MARTINO A - 150.00
Riding #295 - ANCASTER-DUNDAS-FLAMBOROUGH-ALDERSHOT
Doesn't he have a house there? See above...

2001
MARTINO A - 229 - 875.00 (Riding 229 is HAMILTON EAST)
(see 1998 record for connection to Aldo)

2000
MARTINO AL (Aldo?) - 231 HAMILTON WEST - 542.15
(This one I can't verify 100% that it's Aldo, but we know he was connected to the area due to the 2001 and the 1998 donations)

1998
MARTINO ALDO - 229 - 750.00
(Riding 229 is HAMILTON EAST, connection to Aldo and the Hamilton East riding, see 2001 donation)

1997
MARTINO ALDO - 118 - 225.00
(old Riding numbers, can't trace too well)

1996
MARTINO ALDO - 41 - 750.00
- 76 - 238.00
- 118 - 174.66
(old Riding numbers, can't trace too well)

Total contributions to the Ontario Liberal Party = $3704.81 ($3162.66 if you don't count the questionable 2000 record)

Funny what you can find in the Elections Ontario databases...


UPDATE: Oops... looks like during my quick lookup over lunch, I missed some rather important details. Some other bloggers pointed out that corporately, it seems the brothers supported the Ontario PC Party as well...

1997
MARTINO RESIDENTIAL CARE CENTRE LTD 500.00
Martino Residential Care Centre Ltd 1,000.00

1996
MARTINO RESIDENTIAL CARE CENTRE LTD 500.00
MARTINO RESIDENTIAL CARE CENTRE LTD 500.00

Did they corporately support the government of the day, yet personally support the challengers, the Ontario Liberals? Was there actually some family disagreement on which political party they supported? (I doubt that, as one would think that Aldo would also be signing off on the corportate donations) Was their support faltering during those years, and they made the switch to the Liberals in 1998? Or were they your typical business fence sitters who wanted to support the people they thought would be making policy? Who knows.

Bottom line? It looks like there may be nothing to see here folks, other than me and a few dozen eggs... :-(

Thanks to jDave and Dirk for the information.

UPDATE II: Throw out my "personal vs. corporate" donation idea...
PC PARTY ONTARIO
2000 - MARTINO ALDO - 210 BURLINGTON - 600.00
2001 - MARTINO A - 210 BURLINGTON - 896.00

Looks like the guy was working both sides... PC Total was around $4000.00 as well.