Koch

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PBS Premiere: Sept. 22, 2014Check the broadcast schedule »

Background

Ed Koch Before He Was Mayor

Born into a Russian-Jewish immigrant family on December 12, 1924, Edward Irving Koch grew up in the Bronx in New York City. Koch's father was in the garment business, and Koch learned the trade while growing up. In 1941, Koch began attending the City College of New York and worked as a shoe salesman to pay for school. However, in 1943 Koch was drafted into the army and was unable to complete his undergraduate studies (City College awarded him with an honorary Bachelor's degree in 1981). Koch saw combat during World War II and was honorably discharged in 1946 with the rank of sergeant. When he returned home from the war, he attended law school at New York University. He graduated in 1948 and went on to become a founding partner in the law firm Koch, Lankenau, Schwartz & Kovner. In 1956, Koch joined the Village Independent Democrats. He was later elected to Congress and represented the 17th Congressional District (the first Democrat to do so since 1934) from 1969 until 1977, when he won the mayoral election to become the 105th mayor of the City of New York the following year.

Sources:
» Honan, Edith and Chris Michaud. "Ed Koch, New York's Colorful Longtime Former Mayor, Dies." Reuters, February 1, 2013. http://www.reuters.com/

» McFadden, Robert D."Edward I. Koch, a Mayor as Brash, Shrewd and Colorful as the City He Led, Dies at 88." The New York Times, February 1, 2013. http://www.nytimes.com


New York City in Context: The 1970s

Ed Koch inherited a number of tough issues when he took office as mayor in 1978. In the mid- and late 1970s, the United States suffered a widespread recession, and in 1975 New York City was hit with a financial crisis that nearly brought the city to bankruptcy. From 1975 to 1976, New York City services were subject to huge cuts. Layoffs shrank the police force; hospitals and schools closed; public transportation ground almost to a halt; and garbage piled up on the streets as sanitation services were cut. Mayor Abe Beame turned to the federal government for aid, but President Gerald Ford stated that he would veto any bailout to the city (resulting in the infamous Daily News headline "Ford to City: Drop Dead"). The housing policy that existed in the city at the time was something deemed "planned shrinkage," which basically amounted to abandoning derelict buildings and their residents. The city's crime rate rose and by 1978 murders in the city had more than doubled since the 1960s. In light of the city's struggles, many of those who could afford to leave headed for the suburbs. The city's population dropped by more than 10 percent in the 1970s.

Sources:
» Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. "U.S. Urban Decline and Growth, 1950 to 2000." http://kansascityfed.org

» Gralla, Joan. "New York City fears return to 1970s." Reuters, January 27, 2009. http://www.reuters.com

» McFadden, Robert D. "Abraham Beame Is Dead at 94; Mayor During 70's Fiscal Crisis." The New York Times, February 11, 2001. http://www.nytimes.com/

» New York City. "Mayor Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Kelly Announce 2012 Sets All-Time Record for Fewest Murders and Fewest Shootings in New York City History." http://www.nyc.gov/

» Petro, John. "A Closer Look at Ed Koch's Affordable Housing Legacy." Next City, February 7, 2013. http://nextcity.org/


Ed Koch As Mayor, And After

As seen in the film, Ed Koch's three mayoral terms from 1978 to 1989 were marked by both success and controversy. Koch is often credited with restoring New York's fiscal health and improving the city's housing and crime rates, but public opinion about him fluctuated throughout his terms. Responses from the African-American and LGBTQ communities ranged from staunch support to opposition, and he came under criticism for a number of issues, including the closing of Sydenham Hospital and the city's response to the AIDS crisis. Corruption scandals erupted in Koch's third term and he lost his re-election campaign for an unprecedented fourth term, though his personal popularity remained high.

Upon losing his final mayoral election, Koch famously quipped, "The people have spoken... and they must be punished." He remained active in the political and cultural scenes of the city after his last term. He went on to become a partner in the international law firm Bryan Cave, one of the largest real estate practices in New York. He accepted adjunct professor positions at New York University, Brandeis University and Baruch College of the City University of New York. He also enjoyed being on camera. From 1997 to 1999, he was the judge on the television show The People's Court, though the show ultimately couldn't compete with Judge Judy -- hosted by Judy Sheindlin, appointed to the bench by Koch himself. He became a film reviewer and food critic and published more than a dozen books, both fiction and non-fiction. In 2011, the city renamed the Queensboro Bridge the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge in his honor. Ed Koch died of congestive heart failure at the age of 88 on February 1, 2013.

Sources:
» Celona, Larry. "Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch Dead at Age 88." New York Post, February 1, 2013. http://nypost.com/

» Katz, Celeste and Joanne Wasserman, Matthew Lysiak and Corky Siemaszko. "Ed Koch Dead: Mayor Who Became a Symbol of New York City Passes Away at 88." Daily News, February 1, 2013. http://www.nydailynews.com/

» McFadden, Robert D."Edward I. Koch, a Mayor as Brash, Shrewd and Colorful as the City He Led, Dies at 88." The New York Times, February 1, 2013.
http://www.nytimes.com/