John Cassidy, Heidnik’s best friend in Philadelphia: I met Gary in ’74 or ’75 in Philly. He claimed the Army gave him LSD while he was in Germany. Sometime over there, he had a nervous breakdown. A legitimate, real nervous breakdown. And then he said he got this
brilliant idea. He said, when he came out of it, why the hell should I come out of it if I can get disability?
He formed his own religion after he left the Army. I believe it was originally just a tax scam, but towards the end he was believing that stuff. I asked him, “Don’t you think if there’s a God, he’ll be upset with what you’re doing to religion?” He said no, God would be amused. God has a sense of humor.
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