IN N.D.G., THEY SAY 'NO, NO, NO'

Promoter Is Former Alcohol And Drug Addict; His Private Foundation
Would Run Program

A proposed addiction rehab centre - to be run by a recovering addict
who's under indictment on fraud charges and whose brother was shot in
August in an attempted underworld hit - came under attack yesterday
from neighbours who claimed the centre could attract more crime to the area.

About 80 residents of southside Notre Dame de Grace showed up at a
public meeting at St. Raymond de Pennafort Church on St. Jacques St.
complaining that the centre will worsen the serious drug and
alcoholism problems in the neighbourhood.

"This is going to increase the risk to our children," one mother said.

Some residents also claimed the church was promoting the centre only
because the project would solve its financial problems.

Centre promoter Rino Magi, 41, who told the audience he is a
recovering alcoholic, cocaine and heroin addict and gambler, said he
has agreed to pay the church $20,000 a year for the next five years
to rent its meeting hall.

He is also promising to spend about $700,000 to renovate the church
hall. In return, the parish has awarded him first right to buy the
hall should the church decide to sell it.

The city has plans for redeveloping the area into residential housing.

Magi has been operating a soup kitchen for recovering alcoholics at
the church for about a year.

"I've served about 10,000 meals in the last year," he said.

He also said he has been an addict since he was 17 and helping other
addicts helps him stay clean.

This is one reason why he wants to create a permanent rehab centre.
Another is that there are not enough rehab centres to meet the needs
of addicts after they leave a detoxification centre, he said.

"They need help reinserting themselves back into the community and
this is what this centre will do," he said.

The All Is Well centre plans to attract paying clients from all over
the world for its 16-week rehabilitation course.

This angers many residents.

Ian MacDonald, 41, who has two children age 3 and 6, said he is
afraid to allow his kids to play in the park because of the drug
dealers and users.

"I grew up here and when I was a kid we always went to the park by
ourselves, but I would never send my kids to the park by themselves," he said.

MacDonald, who manages a drug store, said the city should first clean
up the drug problem in the neighbourhood before allowing the
rehabilitation centre to open.

"I'm not against (the project)," he said. "But (drug use) is a
problem you should solve first before you bring (the rehab centre)
into the area."

He said it is common to see kids smoking marijuana on the streets and
throwing beer bottles around.

Kristian Gravenor, who has four kids age 6 to 12, said, "I oppose
this totally."

He said the church has tossed three non-profit groups out of its
parish hall to make way for the rehab centre.

"The old groups were much beloved in this area," he said.

Pastor Andre Desroches told the meeting, "We are not doing this just
to save the church but it is one of the ways to save the church."

The rehab centre will be run by a non-profit foundation called the
All Is Well Foundation.

It will subcontract the profit-making part of the operation to a
management company controlled by Magi.

"It will be like a private school," he said. He added that local
residents in need of help can attend centre rehab courses for free.

Magi is an engineer and part of a family that has been involved in
Montreal real estate development for years.

He faces possible extradition to the U.S. on charges he took part in
a large-scale telemarketing scam targeting old people.

His older brother and former business partner Antonio, 48, was shot
in August while driving his Range Rover. He went into a coma but has
since recovered.

Police sources told The Gazette that Tony Magi had been protected by
reputed Mafia boss Vito Rizzuto, who last year began serving 10 years
in a U.S. prison for a gangland killing.

The Magi brothers were involved in several major residential
developments in N.D.G. and on the waterfront in Old Montreal, which
ran into financial problems.

Rino Magi said he is no longer connected with his brother or involved
in any way in real estate development.

"I have put all of that behind me," he said.