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| Ed Koch - Mayor of New York City 1978-1989 |
Old Ed was perhaps to some a few points shy of the Jewish
“mashugana” bizarre label. In a town as diverse and crazy as New York can get
he was a consolation prize or Kewpie Doll in the crowded 1977 Democratic primary race for
mayor, which he was shortly labeled as at his beginning in office which an older
co-worker called him, repeated from the newspapers, and she got a satisfying
chuckle of it every time she used the label "Kewpie Doll".
Shirley MacLaine described him as “gay” in her
first book Out On a Limb without directly saying who he was and describing that
one particular politician who was predicted to run for mayor by some South
American Phychic or such as just another politician hanging around the NYC scene before
he was mayor.
I think like in Shirley’s book, nobody really
publicly outed people in the old days and I think Ed just couldn’t be bothered
with the baggage attached to a “I am a Gay man” standup comedy routine. He was
of his generation and its traditions to the bitter end. (Some matters personal and private are best left personal and private.)
He was a natural salesman and talker and put
the old burned out post war city back on track to the future as its PR
spokesman and symbol.
His running for a fourth term was a mistake.
Twelve years of anybody including FDR is enough in any democracy.
My own memories of him.
I remember him rounding a corner around 23rd
and Broadway on the way to a street fair I and a girlfriend had just left and he
was surrounded by something like six, six foot five feet plus tall police detectives / bodyguards in
suits, some them almost running trying to keep up with Koch already ahead of them on his way to dazzle the crowds. Ed was tall. Wow. And no guns showing. Where’s the beef? Right there up
in your face, that entourage. LOL
I shook his hand somewhere at one of those
Sunday street fairs as a hand reaching out of a crowd surrounding him. He had
an iron handshake grip even for a brief shake. He also had a great personal up
front in your face presence / charisma.
In his retirement he had an office in my
building at Sixth Avenue and 51st Street, Rockefeller Center, but on an
entirely different floor, different elevator bank. I said a distant hello to him maybe a
half dozen times over the years usually on the street and I think he walked
from the Lexington Avenue subway line to his office every morning.
I once did see some very enthusiastic young female
tourist in a backpack out front asking him for an autograph etc. But Ed’s all
but drooling attention was on the girl’s twenty year old or so boyfriend with
her. The boyfriend’s face was beet red in embarrassment.
He was fond of Roman Catholic Ritual and I
think might have converted but he decided to keep it Jewish for political
harmony sake.
Bought a cemetery plot in Harlem at 155th and
Broadway in an Episcopalian graveyard several years ago, one of the last open
cemeteries in the city, with a great view of the city further downtown for
$20,000.
His only request to the Episcopalians who were
glad to have him was for the entrance to the graveyard nearest his grave be
labeled “Jews' Gate” after he was put to rest there.
Rest in peace Mr. Mayor.
.
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