SBI Report

History

The SBI Report launched in 1979 as the official publication of the Scientific Bureau of Investigation, Inc., headquartered at 23 MacArthur Avenue, Staten Island, New York 10312. The organisation was co-founded and co-directed by Peter Mazzola and James Fillow, who styled themselves "International Directors" and ran what they described as the only UFO organisation to operate under "semi-military procedures." The SBI was incorporated as a non-profit in Delaware and held federal tax-exempt status under Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3), IRS identification number 13-3085959.

Mazzola brought a law enforcement background: a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, twelve years as a New York City Police Officer, and certification in polygraph and psychological stress evaluation testing. Fillow had studied computer science, worked as a general contractor for six years, and had personally investigated and documented nearly 500 UFO cases over fifteen years. Together they compiled hundreds of UFO documents and established working relationships with police departments across New Jersey and New York, who referred UFO-related reports to SBI headquarters. Both appeared frequently on radio and television.

The publication began as a monthly, issued to members and subscribers. Phone lines operated in both states: (201) 254-1224 for New Jersey and (212) 356-6696 for New York. By Volume 3, the Report had shifted to six issues per year plus an annual issue. The final issues in the archive (No 47, January/February 1985) show the publication operating as a bi-monthly with third-class postage paid at Staten Island. Subscriptions ran $12.00 per year for domestic readers, $15.00 for Canada and Mexico, and $20.00 for overseas.

The organisation offered services unusual among UFO groups of the period. Any person could submit photographs, soil samples, liquid samples, or metal artifacts for laboratory analysis "free of charge," with full analytical conclusions returned to the submitter. The SBI maintained laboratory facilities in New Jersey for soil, metallurgy, and artifact analysis, and employed three professional advisors for photographic analysis. Investigators who documented a CE3 (close encounter of the third kind, meaning an abduction case) received $50.00, and dedicated members were eligible for yearly incentive awards of $150.00. Members received badges, identification cards, and the organisation's "Step-by-Step UFO Investigating Manual."

Content was organised into regular departments. "Straight Talk" carried editorials from the directors. "Special Report" presented in-depth case investigations. "Grapevine," written by Marty Cannon, covered rumours and intelligence from the field. "Reader Feedback," managed by Thomas Herberg, published sightings and encounters from around the world. "Fighting for You" documented the SBI's advocacy efforts, including a formal petition to the White House under the Freedom of Information Act. "Spotlight," by Dorothy Soultanokis, welcomed new members and announced promotions within the organisation's rank structure. "Confidential" profiled distinguished ufologists, directors, and consultants.

The staff expanded considerably over the publication's run. Dr. Marvin Weinstein served as Director of Research. Elaine Mazzola (later Elaine Kaiser) handled public relations and treasury duties. Margaret Fillow served as recording secretary. Peter Spangler directed the Northeast region, and Thomas Dawiczkowski managed the Southeast. Colman Von Keviczky of ICUFON (the Intercontinental UFO Galactic Spacecraft Research and Analytic Network) contributed press releases and memoranda to the United Nations. Antonio Huneeus, later a respected journalist covering UFO topics for mainstream outlets, served as overseas coordinator and translator alongside Al Medina and Harry Jay. Artists included Dennis Lipp, Marc Brinkerhoff, and John Collado; Peter Robbins later took over as Art Director.

By the mid-1980s, the publication's character had shifted noticeably. James Leming replaced Fillow as editor while Mazzola remained as International Director. The contributor base expanded to include PhD-level scientists: Hans J. Petermann on UFO power sources, Kenneth Behrendt on ball lightning, Richard L. Clark on systems technology, Lindy Whitehurst on radio astronomy, and Michael D. Swords on the Yakima earthlight phenomenon. The SBI held annual UFO symposiums, and the Report began carrying more technical and analytical content alongside its field investigation reports.

Case investigations formed the backbone of the publication. The SBI documented a multiple-witness police sighting in Michigan's Upper Peninsula in which six officers observed a UFO for over an hour, with triangulation used to estimate the object's size. An upstate New York case from November 1978 began as a routine CE2 (physical trace evidence) and escalated when two witnesses observed two football-field-sized cigar-shaped craft at close range, were pursued in their vehicle, saw three additional disc-shaped objects, and later developed symptoms consistent with radiation exposure. The SBI also investigated what they considered a CE3 case predating the Betty and Barney Hill abduction by two years, involving a New Jersey politician who came forward just two months before an election.