Fox News
Expand
Browse All Video
Watch Live

You're watching...

Former NYC Mayor Ed Koch dies at 88

Details

  • Description

    New York symbol passes away

  • Duration 2:29
  • Date

Clips

Also in this playlist...

Editor's Picks

Auto-advance: ON

Auto-advance
View All

Transcript

This transcript is automatically generated

How many good.

He was the very symbol of this city itself.

-- brave funny outspoken and -- Ed Koch brought New York City back from the brink when he was elected mayor in 1977.

Nobody thought I could win.

But I got my message out with people believed it.

They voted for me it was a shock it was born in 1924 in Newark, New Jersey.

Served in world war two and took on the democratic Tammany hall of the 1960s.

As a reformed Democrat.

Before being elected councilman congressmen and finally moving to City Hall where he inherited a city besieged by crime public unrest and -- bankruptcy.

York -- a great city but the Big Apple.

Does not grow in the garden of Eden but by force of his personality put New York back on the path to solvency when I came -- The city was in this state of short term debt of six.

Billion.

Dollars which we have to eliminate over a four year period and we did it over three year period.

And I'm very proud of what we've been.

He created a billion dollar housing program that wiped out abandoned ghettos and always forcefully spoke out on local and international issues.

He's the only man I know who speaks to god as an associate.

After three terms he was defeated in 1989.

But that didn't stop him from writing and remaining involved in public issues as a private and beloved citizen.

As I said -- and I.

Left office.

I'm never gonna retire expected diet to stance Koch who never married always described himself as a liberal with sanity I would be Iraq out.

And go and he often endorse Republicans and was known for -- independent passionate and spirited -- it's.

He even picked out a New York City graveside.

Because he said he didn't ever want to leave Manhattan.

Ed Koch a New York original remembered with much affection.

And respect.

-- -- --

Load More