Broken In Haft

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Herbert's steely, in-your-face style complemented Robert's gentler, laid- back manner. A Harvard Business School graduate, Robert founded Crown Books in 1977 and built it into one of the first successful book discount chains with his pitch "Books just cost too much!" Herbert took pride in such achievements and kept increasing his son's responsibilities. Since the two fell out last spring, however, Robert has been reduced to waiting outside the Washington Post offices at 3:45 a.m. to read the latest developments in the family feud; the only communications he gets from his father are daily poison faxes. "As much as he loved me is as much as he hates me now," a saddened Robert told the Post last week.

The conflict first flared at an April board meeting when Robert, who was becoming eager to succeed his father as Dart chairman, clashed with him over plans to expand a single store. While Herbert wanted to increase the company's Total Beverage liquor operations, Robert pointed out that the only existing Total outlet was operating at a loss. The split widened in May when Gloria Haft, 66, defended her son at a Crown Books meeting and beseeched her husband to end the quarrel.

Even family members have had trouble comprehending Herbert's subsequent virulence. Sources close to the family surmise that the elder Haft, who had heart problems in 1991, regards his son's eagerness to take over as an unwelcome reminder of his own mortality. The Donnybrook also puzzles investors on Wall Street, where Dart stock, a highflyer in the '80s, has been languishing. Beset by growing competition and the sluggish economy, Dart saw its profits fall to $3.5 million in its latest fiscal year, down 44% from the previous period.

While Wall Street watches anxiously, Robert is left mourning not just the uncertain future of the company he helped to build but also the loss of its original spirit. "My father is no saint, but we were a family, strong, loyal and successful together," he said. "That's why his behavior now is so inexplicable."