In some respects, he was "America's Mayor" before Rudy Giuliani, which is ironic since the two were bitter rivals back in the day. In addition to serving three terms as Mayor of New York City, Ed Koch served in World War II, and has also been, in no particular order, a NYC Councilman, a Congressman, a radio talk show host, and a TV judge (he served two seasons on The People's Court immediately following the retirement of the series' original jurist, Joseph Wapner, in 1997).
It just happens to be another bitter irony that on the day when a documentary on the life of Koch was being released in theatres throughout New York City, Koch passed away early this morning at 88 due to heart failure.
Koch was first elected Mayor of NYC in 1977, succeeding Abe Beame. The city was mired in a deep financial crisis at the time, and Koch brought the city back by instituting budget cuts to save the city's credit, and became the city's biggest and most high profile champion. "How'm I doin'?" became not only his signature, but almost a national catchphrase.
If there was a downside to Koch, it was the fact that he was unwilling to allow the Giants to hold a ticker-tape parade down New York's fabled Canyon of Heroes after their first Super Bowl win in 1987, suggesting that Big Blue, which had moved out of the city a decade earlier and were now playing their home games in New Jersey, as they do today, hold their victory parade in suburban Moonachie, just outside of the team's home base in East Rutherford. Obviously, he never forgave the Giants---or the Jets, for that matter---for moving to New Jersey, believing that they no longer represented the city, even though technically they still do. Koch's penchant for speaking his mind also cost him a shot at becoming governor in 1982 when he told Playboy that he considered living in Albany to be "a fate worse than death". Small wonder, then, that there's been a political chasm between NYC's 5 boroughs and Albany ever since.
The funny thing is, even though he was born in the Bronx, Koch spent his formative years in New Jersey. Now try figuring out why he'd turn his back on the Garden State when the Giants won the Super Bowl.
Rest in peace, Ed.
2 comments:
Koch was certainly a larger than life figure!
I was too young for politics during a large part of his tenure so I turned to my dad and some of of his contemporaries (who worked for the City and dealt with many of Koch's appointees and policy makers back in the day) for their thoughts on Ed's time at Gracie Mansion. They all gave him thumbs up! According to them, Koch wasn't afraid to cross party lines when it came to the best interests of NYC. Koch of course was a lifelong Democrat but he wasn't always going to automatically favor their positions.
Seeing him turn up on People's Court was a hoot!
Koch was such a mainstay in NYC politics, I'm tempted to think of an episode of "Night Court" in which Dan Fielding (John Larroquette) was rescued by a bunch of Eskimos near the Arctic Circle. Wanting to get out in a hurry (after hearing a passing rescue plane), he was quick to announce to his hosts, "I live in New York. My name's Ed Koch, look me up!" .
RIP Ed! If my Dad liked you, you must have been a decent guy!
I may have to look up that ep of Night Court, if but to use for a review of the series.
The funeral was yesterday, and made front page news this morning.
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