How old is mayor ed koch

Decaying buildings? Paint phony windows, complete with cheery flowerpots, on brick facades. Overcrowded city jails? Stick inmates on floating prison barges. Koch defeated incumbent Beame and future Gov. Mario Cuomo in the Democratic primary to win his first term in City Hall. Like his hero Fiorello LaGuardia, the fiery fusion party mayor who ran the city from to , he ran on the Republican and Conservative party lines in the mayoral election.

He breezed to re-election in both and , winning an unprecedented three-quarters of the votes cast. At the time, he was only the third mayor in city history to be elected to three terms. Early in his second term, Koch flip-flopped on his pledge to remain at City Hall and decided to run for governor against then-Lt. Mario Cuomo. But his gubernatorial bid blew up after Koch mouthed off about life outside his hometown. It cost him the race, but it convinced many of the 8 million city residents that Koch belonged in New York.

Meanwhile, Cuomo went on to serve three terms as governor. Queens Borough President Donald Manes — a close ally — committed suicide in March , after having resigned over kickback and patronage allegations. Bronx Democratic leader Stanley Friedman and three others were also tarred.

The administration was also beset by racial unrest, first after the death of a black youth at the hands of a white gang in Howard Beach and three years later after a black teen was shot to death in Bensonhurst by a group of whites. So they decided to throw me out. The man who bragged that he would always get a better job, but New Yorkers would never get a better mayor, left his City Hall office for the last time on Dec. He was finished with public office, but he would never be through with the city.

The thought of having to go to New Jersey was so distressing to me. Not long after buying the plot, he had his tombstone inscribed and installed. He fiercely defended the City of New York, and he fiercely loved its people. Contact The Author Name required. Email required. Comment required. February 1, am. Getty Images. Ed Koch on the cover of Time magazine on June 15, Ed Koch through the years — Koch, here in his office in , was a popular mayor for three terms until David Dinkins defeated him in the Democratic primary.

Ed Koch through the years — Rudy Giuliani, then U. After leaving office, Koch practiced law, hosted a radio show, wrote a newspaper column and made countless TV cameo appearances. Story highlights There will be a funeral Monday for Ed Koch Koch served as New York City mayor for three terms He died Friday morning of congestive heart failure His personality made him popular nationwide.

Koch died of congestive heart failure, spokesman George Arzt said. The former mayor felt very tired Thursday morning and was admitted to the intensive care unit, Artz said. Koch lost consciousness that afternoon and passed away around 2 a. The lawyer-turned-public servant was a U. He served three terms until David Dinkins defeated him in a Democratic primary. Koch told New York magazine in "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. More Videos I have an appreciation of his work as a public servant," said Jackson in a formal statement. The mayor dismissed his critics as "wackos," waged verbal war with developer Donald Trump "piggy" and mayoral successor Rudy Giuliani "nasty man" and once reduced the head of the City Council to tears.

When President George W. Bush ran for re-election in , Democrat Koch crossed party lines to support him and spoke at the GOP convention. He also endorsed Mayor Michael Bloomberg's re-election efforts at a time when Bloomberg was a Republican. Koch described himself as "a liberal with sanity.

In a statement, Bloomberg said the city "lost an irrepressible icon" and called Koch its "most charismatic cheerleader. Koch was also an outspoken supporter of Israel, willing to criticize anyone, including President Obama, over decisions Koch thought could indicate any wavering of support for that nation.

I never felt that way," he said. Under his watch from to , the city climbed out of its financial crisis, thanks to Koch's budget cuts and other tough fiscal policies, and subway service improved enormously. But homelessness and AIDS soared through the s.

Many critics charged that City Hall's responses were too little, too late. Koch said in a interview with The New York Times that he had few regrets about his time in office but still felt guilt over a decision he made as mayor to close Sydenham Hospital in Harlem. Koch was a champion of gay rights, taking on the Roman Catholic Church and scores of political leaders.

A life-long bachelor, Koch offered a typically blunt response to questions about his own sexuality: "My answer to questions on this subject is simply, 'F off. Andrew Cuomo for campaign posters that proclaimed "Vote for Cuomo, not the homo," when Koch lost the Democratic gubernatorial primary to then-lieutenant governor Mario Cuomo, the current governor's father. Koch was fast-talking, opinionated and sometimes rude, becoming the face and sound of New York to those living outside the city.

When Koch took over the mayor's office from accountant Abe Beame in , one thing quickly became apparent — with this mayor, nothing was certain. Reporters covered him around the clock because of "the Koch factor," his ability to say something outrageous anyplace, anytime. Koch's middle initial.

Actually, it stood for Irving. After leaving office, Koch continued to offer his opinions as a political pundit, food critic and judge on The People's Court. Koch remained a political force in Albany well into old age. He secured a promise in from then-aspiring governor Andrew Cuomo and a number of state legislators to protect the electoral redistricting process from partisanship. Koch then vocally protested when Cuomo and others reneged on that pledge two years later. At an 80th birthday bash for the former mayor, Bloomberg said Koch was "not only a great mayor and a great source of advice and support to other mayors, he happens to be one of the greatest leaders and politicians in the history of our city.

He had been in the hospital twice in , for anemia in September and then for a respiratory infection in December. He returned twice in January with fluid buildup in his lungs.

He had undergone surgery in June to replace his aortic valve and gallbladder surgery a month later. He had a pacemaker inserted in and was hospitalized eight years later with a heart attack. In early , he was hospitalized with pneumonia.

Koch was born in the Bronx on Dec. During the Depression, the family lived in Newark, N.