Interesting article. I liked the remark that criminal gangs aren't always old established societies like the Mafia, and that reminded me of the "ice cream wars" in Glasgow which came to a head with the death of six people in an arson attack. Those convicted of murder were subsequently acquitted, years later, and in spite of their protests (and that they were probably framed by local police) they had almost certainly committed other crimes warranting long sentences.
I also noted the comment that the article was disingenuous for failing to point out that Toronto police appeared to be involved in the Tow Truck Wars, some even running tow trucks themselves.
It's an interesting scene. The tow truck drivers are a mixture of bikers, ex-cons, ex-cops, and (probably) some legitimate operators. Or so I've read. They are notorious for ambushing hapless motorists who have broken down on the highway, and towing their vehicle to a repair shop to be held for ransom. I don't know that they're even licensed, or what they'd have to do to lose one. There are probably a lot of 'freelance' operators regardless. Given the insane volume of traffic on the highway, they are unlikely to be under any sort of meaningful oversight, and only attract the attention of the wrong police by chance.
““Tennessee man shot by his dog while lying in bed”