Jim Lachowicz's Altoona A-Rays (also derisively known as the "Ashtrays," "Astrays," or "Disarrays") joined the league in the
expansion of 1979, a move controversial from the start as the vote to let Jim in was not unanimous. Commissioner Len Tomaszewski
pushed for Jim's inclusion, yet sometimes regretted his choice as Jim had fun with making moves or non-moves that irritated Len.
As a result, Len created the "Jim Lachowicz Most Offensive Team Award."
Under Jim, this franchise was perhaps the DNFL's oddest until Mike Soriano acquired it in 1990 and brought it stability. The Altoona
franchise and was thought of as a weak one under Jim, yet surprisingly in the six-year period of 1981-86, the A-Rays made the
playoffs three times and the DNFL Bowl once. Jim would do such strange things as trade all his draft choices for one player and keep
playing a guy after he'd been cut by an NFL team, actions that irritated Len. Yet oddly, such moves would work--the one player
would turn the franchise around that year , and the cut guy (kicker Raul Allegre in 1986, for example) would get signed by another
NFL team and score big.
Altoona's finest hour under Jim was in 1986, the year Pittsburgh under Steve Helis finished 13-0-1 and Lower Niles under
Jim Tomaszewski finished 11-2-1. These two titans were expected to battle in the DNFL Bowl, but little Altoona, with its 7-7
wildcard record, had other ideas, stunning Lower Niles in the first round by winning the tiebreaker, and going into the Monday
night game DNFL Bowl week leading Pittsburgh, until the undefeated Parrots flexed their wings and won the game.
Jim Lachowicz was elected to the DNFL Hall of Fame in 1992. His missing the 1980 draft due to a car accident also made the Hall
of Fame in 1997. Jim also has won Non-Owner of the Year.
A former DePaulia associate editor and advertising manger, he is married to Jean Dziekan Lachowicz.