As a staple in the community for 40 years, the Island Wide Dart League has no shortage of talent or members.

Whether it be a multi-time champion or a first-timer, the league has 800 dart players ready to compete on Tuesday nights.

"Darts is a small community, and yet it's a big community," said president Jay Horgan. "People don't realize until they get involved how big it is. They think it's a tavern game, but then they see that Island Wide Dart League has 80 teams and 10 divisions with nine-10 players a team."

Horgan has played in the league since 1990 when it was still called the Staten Island Dart League and was owned by Larry Rabin.

"I just took to it," said Horgan. "It's like any other sport, the more you put into it the more you get out of it and I became a pretty good player."

When Rabin passed away, Horgan became president in 1997 and turned it into the Island Wide Dart League. Ray Hyland, Dave Vurture, and Joe Tirone have been competing in the league since the very beginning in the 1970s.

What Horgan values about the league the most is its emphasis on family and its longevity with Hyland, Vurture and Tirone still competing.

"You'd be surprised how many teams are families that play in the league," said Horgan. "One team is actually called "Family of Darts" and six of the nine people are brothers. We have multiple fathers and sons and mothers and daughters. And we still have three players that first started in the 70s. It just shows you the longevity of playing darts it could be anyone from a 12-year-old to a 90-year-old."

There are two seasons per year with one taking place during fall and winter and another throughout spring and summer. Each season is 15 weeks long without including playoffs.

One of many big-time players in the league is Bob Garzone as he has won 15 championships in 18 years and usually finishes on top in All-Star points and Most Valuable Player.

"Bobby is essential to darts on Staten Island," said Horgan. "He goes above and beyond to teach the game to people. He's a positive force in the game of darts, there's no negativity around him and he's won number individual titles all over the city."

Garzone was a bowler for 37 years before calling it quits in January of 2000. He joined the Island Wide Dart League in 1987 when a work friend, John Daddio, asked him to join his team.

"We all grew together, we played together and when I left that team around 1993, we were Island champs for several years," said Garzone. "I left for a few years and came back to play with a renewed interest. I got my butt kicked pretty good. I screwed a dart board into the wall and practiced until my arm felt like it would fall off."

Islander Jim Widmayer is considered to be among the top dart players in the country and played in the Island Wide Dart League for many years.

"The only reason I win anything is because he doesn't show up," said Garzone. "He doesn't play in the Island Wide Dart League, but he played for a long time and he misses it. We've had some wars on and off the dart board, but he's a great guy and a fierce competitor. At one point I gave him some great matches. I've beat him a couple of times, but he's the man and everyone knows it."

Horgan himself spent many years competing with Widmayer, and some against him.

"We were on the same team for years," said Horgan. "On the other side I played against him and he's a marvel to watch. People don't take to darts, but when you watch someone hit what they want 99 percent of the time it's amazing."

Some other top players include Joe and Anthony Roccisano, Justin Darraugh, Louis Rendeiro and Rich Widmayer.

"The competition goes from novice to weekend tournament players," said Horgan. "That's the skill level we have going from Division 1, being all the consistent players and a lot of those players go away on weekends for tournaments. And then Division 10 for people who just joined the league and people looking for something to do on a Tuesday night."