Page 4 of Kurt's 1970 Senate Transcript
Mr. Sisco. No; no I just put one ad or two in little magazines saying any formula or process, $2. I don't think I made enough to pay for the ad.
Senator PERCY. Your business, as such, is not sanctioned at all by any State?
Mr. Sisco. No.
Senator PERCY. You do not have a charter from any State?
Mr. Sisco. No. But I really didn't have a business, either.
Senator PERCY. You went into this activity looking like a business and acting like a business but you have not formally organized it as a business?
Mr. Sisco. No. I don't even run it any more. I suppose if it had really worked out I would have looked into legal aspects and gotten a charter if I needed one, but I did not even make enough to pay for the ads so I dropped it. But I still have the stationery and I use it.
Senator PERCY. Do you have any s on your writings?
Mr. Sisco. Yes; I do. I have a on the "Militant Formulary." Here it is.
The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Sisco, have you intimated or made a statement to the effect that the reason you have published these pamphlets and you went into this business is because of vindictiveness or hatred toward society in any way or toward the general establishment? Did you do so?
Mr. Sisco. Well, if I made a statement like that it is because I was vindictive and hateful, myself. I don't remember making such a statement. Of course, I run off at the mouth quite a bit. I could have said it. But it is not my general attitude.
The CHAIRMAN. I notice another thing here that is interesting. This "Militants' Formulary"—you dedicated it when you had it ed and published. On the first page it says: Affectionately dedicated to Lee Harvey Oswald, James Earl Ray, Sirhan Sirhan, and Senator Thomas Dodd, without whose efforts this work would be irrelevant
What do you mean by that?
Mr. Sisco. Well, I simply mean that, here, take three nuts and they kill three prominent people with guns. So, Senator Dodd makes a Federal case of it. I think when he started there were about 35 million guns in private hands and now there are over 90 million guns in private hands; at least 25 million are pistols.
It was only after his investigations and threats of registration and possible confiscation of firearms that people turned to bombs and things like that. They figured, well, if we get up tight we want to destroy someone; we can't shoot them. The next thing to do is blow them up.
The bombing started shortly after Senator Dodd started with his gun bills. Also, gunrunning started. In fact, I have that explained in the introduction to my book.
The CHAIRMAN. Maybe 'so; I have not read all of it. Did you get permission of Senator Dodd to dedicate this pamphlet to him?
Mr. Sisco. No. I didn't think you had to.
The CHAIRMAN. You did not consult him on that?
Mr. Sisco. No.
The CHAIRMAN. You used his name just because he favored gun control legislation; you dedicate a pamphlet teaching how to make bombs and revolutionary weapons, weapons of subversion primarily—dedicated it to him because he made a conscientious fight? I don't know that I agree with his position on firearms. Is that the reason?
Mr. Sisco. Yes; it was in the manner of a joke.
The CHAIRMAN. You said, "With deep affection.
Mr. Sisco. Well, that was being sarcastic.
The CHAIRMAN. Not "deep affection"—I am sorry—"affectionately dedicate."
Do you have some affection for Oswald, Ray, and Sirhan who assassinated Bobby Kennedy ? Do you have some affection for them?
Mr. Sisco. Well, that was sarcasm.
The CHAIRMAN. That is sarcasm?
Mr. Sisco. Yes.
The CHAIRMAN. Is there anything further ?
Senator PERCY. Mr. Sisco, following up on the chairman's questions, you not only dedicated this book in an unusual way and you now say with sarcasm, but you go on to explain in your publications the various organizations selling pyrotechnic supplies and chemicals and the identity of books which deal with this subject.
You list "Hi-Lo-Boom" by Phillip Danisevich, selling for $5.50. We have had some reference to "Hi-Lo-Boom" previously.
Mr. Siragusa testified before this committee from the Illinois Crime Investigating Commission. He said:
"A particularly senseless, tragic event occurred in Chicago on April 14, 1960, resulting in the death of two Chicago police officers and serious gunshot injuries to six other officers."
Frank J. Kulak, aged 43, barricaded himself in his home at 9521 South Exchange Avenue against police who responded to a citizen's call that Kulak was sniping at his neighbors.
Kulak lobbed about 25 hand grenades and black powder bombs and fired several hundred rounds of ammunition from automatic rifles and shotguns at police attempting to gain entry to his residence. Inside his home Kulak had set eight booby traps wired to grenades and other explosive devices.
Kulak was arrested, unharmed. On February 27, 1970, he was declared mentally incompetent, and the murder charge was dismissed.
Seized in Kulak's apartment were 52 unexploded manufactured bombs and hand grenades, and various paraphernalia for the manufacture of explosives including gun powder, pipes, cylinders, tape, and military-type fuses. Also seized were two carbine rifles, two shotguns and two pistols.
Of interest to us was the seizure by the police authorities in his apartment of a document called "Hi-Lo Boom Modern Explosives," written by Philip J. Danisevich and William G. Mucci, and ed in 1966. The authors synopsized their book as follows:
"We have done our best to provide a first-hand view of explosives. Organizing the data and diagrams, et cetera, along the chemistry guideline, we have presented some of the latest material available."
Has the thought occurred to you that the publications that you are distributing and making available could fall in the hands of people such as these encouraging the kind of events, the tragic events, that follow; and has that ever caused you wonder whether this pastime of yours is a useful pastime?
Mr. Sisco. I hope it hasn't, but there are so many other people doing that and that orange book I gave you which can be bought at any legal bookstore, maybe the person who put that out may think some militant nut can go in the law store and buy from them.
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Mr. Sisco. No; no I just put one ad or two in little magazines saying any formula or process, $2. I don't think I made enough to pay for the ad.
Senator PERCY. Your business, as such, is not sanctioned at all by any State?
Mr. Sisco. No.
Senator PERCY. You do not have a charter from any State?
Mr. Sisco. No. But I really didn't have a business, either.
Senator PERCY. You went into this activity looking like a business and acting like a business but you have not formally organized it as a business?
Mr. Sisco. No. I don't even run it any more. I suppose if it had really worked out I would have looked into legal aspects and gotten a charter if I needed one, but I did not even make enough to pay for the ads so I dropped it. But I still have the stationery and I use it.
Senator PERCY. Do you have any s on your writings?
Mr. Sisco. Yes; I do. I have a on the "Militant Formulary." Here it is.
The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Sisco, have you intimated or made a statement to the effect that the reason you have published these pamphlets and you went into this business is because of vindictiveness or hatred toward society in any way or toward the general establishment? Did you do so?
Mr. Sisco. Well, if I made a statement like that it is because I was vindictive and hateful, myself. I don't remember making such a statement. Of course, I run off at the mouth quite a bit. I could have said it. But it is not my general attitude.
The CHAIRMAN. I notice another thing here that is interesting. This "Militants' Formulary"—you dedicated it when you had it ed and published. On the first page it says: Affectionately dedicated to Lee Harvey Oswald, James Earl Ray, Sirhan Sirhan, and Senator Thomas Dodd, without whose efforts this work would be irrelevant
What do you mean by that?
Mr. Sisco. Well, I simply mean that, here, take three nuts and they kill three prominent people with guns. So, Senator Dodd makes a Federal case of it. I think when he started there were about 35 million guns in private hands and now there are over 90 million guns in private hands; at least 25 million are pistols.
It was only after his investigations and threats of registration and possible confiscation of firearms that people turned to bombs and things like that. They figured, well, if we get up tight we want to destroy someone; we can't shoot them. The next thing to do is blow them up.
The bombing started shortly after Senator Dodd started with his gun bills. Also, gunrunning started. In fact, I have that explained in the introduction to my book.
The CHAIRMAN. Maybe 'so; I have not read all of it. Did you get permission of Senator Dodd to dedicate this pamphlet to him?
Mr. Sisco. No. I didn't think you had to.
The CHAIRMAN. You did not consult him on that?
Mr. Sisco. No.
The CHAIRMAN. You used his name just because he favored gun control legislation; you dedicate a pamphlet teaching how to make bombs and revolutionary weapons, weapons of subversion primarily—dedicated it to him because he made a conscientious fight? I don't know that I agree with his position on firearms. Is that the reason?
Mr. Sisco. Yes; it was in the manner of a joke.
The CHAIRMAN. You said, "With deep affection.
Mr. Sisco. Well, that was being sarcastic.
The CHAIRMAN. Not "deep affection"—I am sorry—"affectionately dedicate."
Do you have some affection for Oswald, Ray, and Sirhan who assassinated Bobby Kennedy ? Do you have some affection for them?
Mr. Sisco. Well, that was sarcasm.
The CHAIRMAN. That is sarcasm?
Mr. Sisco. Yes.
The CHAIRMAN. Is there anything further ?
Senator PERCY. Mr. Sisco, following up on the chairman's questions, you not only dedicated this book in an unusual way and you now say with sarcasm, but you go on to explain in your publications the various organizations selling pyrotechnic supplies and chemicals and the identity of books which deal with this subject.
You list "Hi-Lo-Boom" by Phillip Danisevich, selling for $5.50. We have had some reference to "Hi-Lo-Boom" previously.
Mr. Siragusa testified before this committee from the Illinois Crime Investigating Commission. He said:
"A particularly senseless, tragic event occurred in Chicago on April 14, 1960, resulting in the death of two Chicago police officers and serious gunshot injuries to six other officers."
Frank J. Kulak, aged 43, barricaded himself in his home at 9521 South Exchange Avenue against police who responded to a citizen's call that Kulak was sniping at his neighbors.
Kulak lobbed about 25 hand grenades and black powder bombs and fired several hundred rounds of ammunition from automatic rifles and shotguns at police attempting to gain entry to his residence. Inside his home Kulak had set eight booby traps wired to grenades and other explosive devices.
Kulak was arrested, unharmed. On February 27, 1970, he was declared mentally incompetent, and the murder charge was dismissed.
Seized in Kulak's apartment were 52 unexploded manufactured bombs and hand grenades, and various paraphernalia for the manufacture of explosives including gun powder, pipes, cylinders, tape, and military-type fuses. Also seized were two carbine rifles, two shotguns and two pistols.
Of interest to us was the seizure by the police authorities in his apartment of a document called "Hi-Lo Boom Modern Explosives," written by Philip J. Danisevich and William G. Mucci, and ed in 1966. The authors synopsized their book as follows:
"We have done our best to provide a first-hand view of explosives. Organizing the data and diagrams, et cetera, along the chemistry guideline, we have presented some of the latest material available."
Has the thought occurred to you that the publications that you are distributing and making available could fall in the hands of people such as these encouraging the kind of events, the tragic events, that follow; and has that ever caused you wonder whether this pastime of yours is a useful pastime?
Mr. Sisco. I hope it hasn't, but there are so many other people doing that and that orange book I gave you which can be bought at any legal bookstore, maybe the person who put that out may think some militant nut can go in the law store and buy from them.
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