We heard recently from Dino M. Zaffina, the darts enthusiast at the center of last week's cover story ("Dastardly Deeds Against the Darts Association," by Chris Vogel). In the story, Vogel reported that Zaffina was upset because the Southern California Darts Association had failed to include his middle initial on an online scorecard — and that Zaffina filed papers of incorporation for an organization with the same name and appointed himself CEO of it. Many darts players saw the two events as related; Zaffina claims they were not.
We agreed to publish Mr. Zaffina's letter to the editor in its entirety.
"The story of Southern California Darts Association, Inc. is false and most of the angry defendants' comments are false, as well," Zaffina writes. "The truth can be found at socaldartsassoc.com.
"There is not one scintilla of evidence to support the title that I am angry and I brought down SCDA because my name was misspelled. This is a lie! My actions were professional not personal.
"I was not angry at this unincorporated association ("UA") of dart players. I am still not angry even though they continue to damage the reputation of the legal SCDA and its subsidiaries that I have a fiduciary duty to protect.
"People should be asking Curtis N. Pierpont, Harvey M. Fischer, Lewis D. Irete and Patrick M. Montoya why 'they' breached their fiduciary duty and violated California Revenue and Tax Code § 19719(a) and Internal Revenue Code § 501(c)(3). Their nonfeasance brought down the UA and is a contributing factor to why many individuals and businesses have been sued.
"Pierpont's own admission, 'We had been unincorporated for more than 30 years ... we didn't think much about it.' '... Yes, we probably should have filed taxes.' The players, sponsors, vendors and the public were all betrayed.
"Vogel failed to ask Pierpont, since the UA was not a legal corporation during the '80s or a 501(c)(3), where did $100,000 tax money go? What about the California State Board of Equalization?
"I resigned from the Pacific Darts Association and pulled my team after one of my teammates was threatened to death, during a match, by an ex-Marine on an opposing team, and Doug Tice, Richard Lawrence, Kim Bird and others refused to act.
"Soon SCDA will be free to implement all its great ideas to build a dart association that Southern California will be proud to host." Mr. Zaffina — Dino M. Zaffina, that is — signed the letter as president and CEO of the Southern California Darts Association.
In addition to Zaffina, we heard from a number of readers. Many of them, suffice it to say, had a different take on the situation.
Writes No.Middle.Initial, "The guy sounds like a creep. Oh, sure, everything he does is legal, but none of it is right. Like a right and proper sociopath. Makes you wonder what he wouldn't do if tomorrow we had anarchy! Man, it's a good thing his pop died when he was a kid. If I had a kid like that, I'd change my name and then die of shame."
CaptainSmartyPants has a similar take. "This guy has to be the biggest douche in all of SoCal — and that takes quite a bit of effort. Now that he has his darts club, I wonder who will be willing to play against him? No one, I bet. I am very confident that he has plenty of experience playing with himself and won't even notice," he writes. "The only action this guy can get costs money. What a loser. Dino Zaffina is a cunt of the highest order." (Really? Do we have to keep using that word, people?)
Adds White Mamba, "This guy's attitude of 'legally defensible = right' is exactly what is eroding the principles that make our country so great. He's taking advantage of decency, and of people who count on their own moral compass, not the courts, to determine what is fair and just. Just because this guy knows how to manipulate the law to get what he wants doesn't make it right."
Finally, we heard from KimFromOC, who writes directly to Zaffina about the time when Zaffina served on the board of the Pacific Darts Association, which is based in Cypress, Calif. PDA's secretary told Vogel that Zaffina had threatened to sue that association, which Zaffina denies.
"Dino, I'm sure you will be reading the comments," she writes. "I wanted to make sure we get the story straight. There was no misunderstanding with the PDA board. You threatened to sue the PDA and all of the board members. I was there; we all heard you loud and clear. I apologize to the former SCDA and the people being sued for not mentioning this asshole. Honestly, we all thought he was gone from darts forever. Never thought he would join you guys and certainly never thought he would go this far.
"On a side note, we used to call him Pebbles just to piss him off. Mainly because he acted like a little girl by complaining all the time, but mostly because it was fun to watch him get pissed when I would say it to his face. And no, I didn't include the initial 'M,' either.
