The mayor that gave New York its attitude has passed away at age 88.
Ed Koch, the brash former New York City Mayor, died on Friday morning of congestive heart failure, spokesman George Artz said.
Edward Irving Koch was born in the Bronx on December 12, 1924. The lawyer-turned-public servant was formerly a U.S. congressman from 1968 until he ran for mayor in 1977. He served three terms until David Dinkins defeated him in the Democratic primary.
Koch was best known for greeting his constituents with “How’m I doin’?”
According to CNN:
He told New York magazine in 1998: “I think my personality was helpful in this job. I always had a great sense of humor, though I am also pretty reserved personally. I mean, I don’t go to chichi parties; never did. I don’t like going to dinners other than small dinners at the homes of people. But I realized that if I was to harness the energies of the people of the city of New York and give them back their pride, I would have to become bigger than life. And I did.”
After he left office Koch practiced law, hosted a radio show and made countless appearances on TV shows as himself.
For two years starting in 1997, he was the judge on the syndicated show The People’s Court.
In his later years, he became politically motivated again. In 2011, he grew upset after President Barack Obama called for Israel to return to its pre-1967 borders, with land swaps, as the basis of a Mideast peace deal.
In his anger, Koch crossed party lines to support Republican Bob Turner in his bid to represent perhaps the most Jewish district in the country, which covers parts of Queens and Brooklyn.
Koch was the one of four mayors that ever got re-elected twice in New York.
May he rest in perfect peace.
SOURCE: CNN
