Blaze guts home of ex-noisy neighbor

Fire called accident -- owner plans to leave neighborhood

Thursday, November 30, 2006

The home of a San Francisco man who once tormented his neighbors by tracking them with surveillance cameras and blaring music from the roof went up in flames Wednesday, in what firefighters called an accidental blaze.

The two-alarm fire broke out just after noon near the water heater in Don Bertone's home at 336 Lathrop Ave., in a southeastern neighborhood known as Little Hollywood. Firefighters believe heat from the appliance ignited fumes from a nearby can of gasoline.

The gasoline powered a generator that was supplying electricity to the home. Pacific Gas and Electric Co. cut off power to Bertone a few weeks ago while he was in jail, one of several stints he has spent behind bars this year as a result of anti-social behavior toward his neighbors, as well drug and weapons charges.

Bertone, 55, was upstairs when the fire started but escaped unharmed. Firefighters estimated that damage to the three-bedroom home totaled about $200,000.

Neighbors have long complained to authorities about Bertone, who once worked for the San Francisco Housing Authority as a plumber and ran unsuccessfully for the Board of Supervisors in 2000. Bertone put up surveillance cameras, illuminated the street with floodlights, and blasted salsa and rap music and police scanner calls from rooftop speakers.

Police allegedly found weapons and drugs in several raids at the house, and judges have concluded repeatedly that he violated court orders not to bother his neighbors.

Some of the charges are still pending. Bertone was recently released from jail on bail after a judge dismissed weapons and other charges, saying a search warrant was improper. The same judge had signed the original warrant.
Since returning to Lathrop Avenue, Bertone has been well-behaved, neighbors said Wednesday.

"He's kind of quieted down,'' said the owner of the home next door, Hayward Antoine, who was in his house at the time of the blaze.

Debris piled in Bertone's yard next to Antoine's property did not catch fire.

The walls of Bertone's home were intact, but the fire burned through the roof timbers as well as the ceiling of the first floor. The roof had been cleared of milk crates and other debris that neighbors had complained about earlier, but several doors were still piled there and an array of radio antennas remained.

The side fence is still topped with hubcaps, and barbed wire blocks the gap between Bertone's home and his neighbors.

Bertone, standing outside the gutted shell of his stucco home, said insurance will cover the damage. But he added that he has no intention of rebuilding.

"It's a total loss,'' he said. "I won't stay. I'll leave as soon as I can get away.''

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

I hope he picked up the 'mental melt down' rider.

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-Marty

1986 300E 220,000 miles+ transmission impossible
(Now waiting under a bridge in order to become one)

Reading your M103 duty cycle:
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showpost.php?p=831799&postcount=13
http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/showpost.php?p=831807&postcount=14

We had a scumbag neighbor like that,always meddling,complaining about trees,property lines,kids riding bikes about,you name it.Always walked about in the summer without a shirt cursing under his breath.

Eventually nature's law prevailed over man's and he was found naked and dead in his backyard,a bottle of vodka nearby.

This guy's attitude is bad down to the last drop. Nary a thought that his flakiness led to his imprisonment which led to his electricity getting cut off which led to his having gasoline in the wrong place.

No worries, $200K in value up in smoke, to be cheerfully replaced by yours and my insurance premiums.

The nimrod.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

You do have to wonder if the insurance company will decline to pick up the tab.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

In case anyone wonders what kind of house Walt Disney would design during a bad acid trip...

Wow good for you guys.

I smell a possible opertunity, whats going on with the house? Whats it worth in good shape vs now? If you pick it up cheap enough you might be able to pull off a flip.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

I imagine in good shape it'd be around $400 to $500K. The neighborhood is not bad, it's next to a park and SF is expensive anywhere, a few dark corners of the hood excepted.

I'm telling you, any buildable property in SF has sharks circling in the water to get ahold of.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

Little Hollywood? That's SF's straight community right?

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You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows - Robert A. Zimmerman

But you can be the bigger shark! Remember its not the biggest shark the wins, but the one that locks it up with an option!

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Does seem ironic but when I drove through it, it seemed straight. Lot of kids out on the street playing. Plus, it's about 4 or 5 miles south of the Castro, ground zero for SF queerdom, and not a pleasant drive at that.

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1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

I have found that for the most part, if I leave the gay folk alone, they leave me alone. If they make a pass and I tell them "No thanx" they have so far left me alone. If they don't, we will have an issue. However, so far they stick to themselves and that is pretty much that.

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

I dunno, that mini half-moon veranda is kinda cool...

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Chris
2007 E550 4Matic - 61,000 Km - Iridium Silver, black leather, Sport package, Premium 2 package
2007 GL450 4Matic - 62,000 Km - Obsidian Black Metallic, black leather, all options
1998 E430 - sold
1989 300E - 333,000 Km - sold
1977 280E - sold
1971 250 - retired

"And a frign hat. They gave me a hat at the annual benefits meeting. I said. how does this benefit me. I dont have anything from the company.. So they gave me a hat." - TheDon

That happens to you in Madison?

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1974 240D 3.0L 4(M) - 250K -OM617.910 + 300D FW + Rajay turbo power!
1977 6.9 3(A) - 84k

No. Madison has no gay people. It has happened before and probably will happen again sometime in my life. Like I said, I tell them "I'm not gay" and they leave me alone. Can't fault someone for trying. However, I can beat them silly if they refuse to take no for an answer. Just like me hitting on a girl. She can say "no" and if I refuse to accept that, I get what is coming to me.

__________________
01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow