Ed Koch | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Koch in 1988 | |
| 105th Mayor of New York City | |
| In office January 1, 1978 – December 31, 1989 | |
| Preceded by | Abraham Beame |
| Succeeded by | David Dinkins |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromNew York | |
| In office January 3, 1969 – December 31, 1977 | |
| Preceded by | Theodore Kupferman |
| Succeeded by | Bill Green |
| Constituency |
|
| Member of theNew York City Council from the2nd district | |
| In office January 1, 1967 – January 3, 1969 | |
| Preceded by | Woodward Kingman |
| Succeeded by | Carol Greitzer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Edward Irving Koch (1924-12-12)December 12, 1924 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | February 1, 2013(2013-02-01) (aged 88) New York City, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Relations | Pat Koch Thaler (sister) |
| Education | |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1943–1946 |
| Rank | Sergeant |
| Unit | 104th Infantry Division |
| Battles/wars |
|
| Awards | |
Edward Irving Koch (/kɒtʃ/KOTCH;[1] December 12, 1924 – February 1, 2013) was an American politician. He served in theUnited States House of Representatives from 1969 to 1977 and wasmayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989.
Koch was a lifelongDemocrat who described himself as a "liberal with sanity".[2] The author of an ambitious public housing renewal program in his later years as mayor, he began by cutting spending and taxes and cutting 7,000 employees from the city payroll. He was the city's secondJewish mayor after his predecessorAbraham Beame.[a] He crossed party lines to endorseRudy Giuliani for mayor of New York City in 1993,Al D'Amato for Senate in 1998,Michael Bloomberg for mayor of New York City in 2001, andGeorge W. Bush for president in 2004.[5]
A popular figure, Koch rode theNew York City Subway and stood at street corners greeting passersby with the slogan "How'm I doin'?"[6] He was a lifelong bachelor, had no children and did not disclose his sexuality during his lifetime.[7]
Koch was first elected mayor of New York City in1977 and was re-elected in1981 with 75% of the vote. He was the first New York City mayor to win endorsement on both the Democratic and Republican party tickets. In1985, Koch was elected to a third term with 78% of the vote. His third term was fraught with scandal regarding political associates (although the scandal never touched him personally) and with racial tensions, including the killings ofMichael Griffith andYusuf Hawkins. In a close race, Koch lost the1989 Democratic primary to his successor,David Dinkins.[5]
Koch was born in theCrotona Park East section ofthe Bronx in New York City,[8] the son of Yetta (or Joyce,[9] née Silpe) and Louis (Leib) Koch,Polish-Jewish immigrants fromKozliv and Uścieczko (Ustechko) inEastern Galicia, both located inTernopil Oblast in westernUkraine.[10] He came from a family ofConservative Jews who resided inNewark, New Jersey, where his father worked at a theater. As a child, he worked as ahatcheck boy in a Newark dance hall.[11] He graduated fromSouth Side High School in Newark in 1941.[12]
In 1943, he was drafted into theUnited States Army.[13][14] Koch did his basic training atCamp Croft, S.C., in 1943 before entering theArmy Specialized Training Program.[15] He then joined the104th Infantry Division. On 27 August 1944, he departed New York City, landing inCherbourg, France, on 7 September 1944. He earned aEuropean-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with twocampaign stars, aWorld War II Victory Medal, and theCombat Infantryman Badge for service in theEuropean Theater of Operations. After V-E Day, because he could speak German, Koch was sent toBavaria to help remove Nazi public officials from their jobs and find non-Nazis to take their place. He was honorably discharged with the rank of sergeant in 1946.[8][16]
Koch returned to New York City to attendCity College of New York, graduating in 1945, andNew York University School of Law, receiving his law degree in 1948. Koch was asole practitioner from 1949 to 1964, and a partner with Koch, Lankenau, Schwartz & Kovner from 1965 to 1968. ADemocrat, he became active in New York City politics as a reformer and opponent ofCarmine DeSapio andTammany Hall. In 1962 Koch ran for office for the first time, unsuccessfully opposing incumbent William Passannante, a DeSapio ally, for the Democratic nomination for theState Assembly.[17]
In 1963, Koch defeated DeSapio for the position of Democratic Party leader for the district which includedGreenwich Village, and Koch won again in a 1965 rematch.[18] Koch served on theNew York City Council from 1967 to 1969.[19]
1968
Koch ran for Congress inNew York's 17th congressional district after RepublicanTheodore Roosevelt Kupferman retired. He defeated RepublicanWhitney Seymour Jr. and Conservative Richard J. Callahan, who partly split the conservative vote.[20] He won 48.5% of the vote to Seymour's 45.6% and Callahan's 5.9%.
1970
Koch was reelected with 62% of the vote, defeating Republican Peter J. Sprague and Conservative Callahan who finished with 32% and 6%, respectively.[21]
1972
In advance of the 1972 elections, Koch was redistricted into the18th district. He defeated Republican Jane Pickens Langley and Socialist Workers nominee Rebecca Finch, 70%–29%–1%.[22]
1973
Koch briefly ran for mayor in 1973, but garnered little support and dropped out before the Democratic primary. He threw his support to State AssemblymanAlbert H. Blumenthal, but Blumenthal's bid was derailed by a scandal and he came in third.[23] ComptrollerAbraham Beame won the election.[24]
1974
Koch won reelection (with career-best 76.7% of the vote) to the 18th district against John Boogaerts Jr. (Republican, 18.8%), Gilliam M. Drummond (Conservative, 3.7%), and Katherine Sojourner (Socialist Workers, 0.8%).[25]
1976
Koch was again reelected, this time with 75.7% of the vote, defeating Sonia Landau (Republican, 20.1%), and James W. McConnell (Conservative, 4.3%).[26]
1977
Koch announced his campaign for mayor of New York City against incumbent Beame. Koch and future governorMario Cuomo finished first (19.8%) and second (18.7%) in the Democratic primary, eliminating Beame (18%). In a runoff, Koch defeated Cuomo, 55%-45%. In the general election, Koch again defeated Cuomo, who ran on theLiberal Party ticket, 50% to 41%.
Koch ran to the right of the other candidates on a "law and order" platform. According to historian Jonathan Mahler, theNew York City blackout of July 1977 and the subsequent rioting helped catapult Koch and his message of restoring public safety to front-runner status.[27]
1981
Koch won both the Democratic and Republican nominations and appeared on the ballot with both of their lines. He faced opposition only from third parties. He won 74.6% of the vote, with Unity candidateFrank Barbaro netting next-best 13.3%. John A. Esposito (Conservative) and Mary T. Codd (Liberal) also ran.[28] Koch swept all five boroughs by landslide margins, breaking 60% of the vote inManhattan and 70% inBrooklyn,the Bronx,Queens andStaten Island.[29]
1982
After incumbentHugh Carey announced he would not run for reelection, Koch announced his candidacy for governor of New York. Cuomo, who had been elected lieutenant governor, also ran. Koch received the party's endorsement with 61% of the convention vote, but Cuomo won the Democratic primary.The New York Times called Cuomo's victory a "stunning upset" that relied on "an unusual coalition of liberal Democrats, labor, minorities and upstaters". Koch ran strongly in Jewish communities, while Cuomo won black, liberal, and Italian communities by a similar margin. A key to Cuomo's victory was his strong showing in New York City itself; though Koch won the city and its four suburban counties (Rockland, Westchester, Suffolk, and Nassau) as expected, Cuomo kept the margin close and won half of the city's Assembly districts. That, combined with large victories in nearly every upstate county, allowed Cuomo to win. Koch endorsed Cuomo immediately, declaring "what's important to all of us is that we keep a Democrat in Albany."[30] Many say the deciding factor in Koch's loss was an interview withPlayboy magazine in which he critiqued the lifestyle of suburbia. Koch's remarks are thought to have alienated many voters from outside New York City.[31] Cuomo was elected governor over RepublicanLewis Lehrman, and served three terms.
1985
Koch was reelected to a third term in a landslide. He defeated Carol Bellamy (Liberal) and Dian McGrath (Republican/Conservative), 78%-10%-9%, respectively, and was sworn into his third and final term in January 1986. As of 2021, this is the most recent mayoral election in which a Democrat carried Staten Island.[32] During the campaign, Koch visited the Lubavitcher RabbiMenachem Mendel Schneerson, seeking his blessing and endorsement.[33]
1989
Koch ran for an unprecedented fourth term in 1989. No mayor had ever won a fourth term, thoughFiorello La Guardia andRobert Wagner also served three terms, and Wagner attempted to run for a fourth in1969. Koch lost the Democratic primary to Manhattan Borough PresidentDavid Dinkins, who finished with 547,901 votes to Koch's 456,313. Dinkins was helped in part by large margins in Manhattan, the Bronx, and Brooklyn, while Koch carried Staten Island and Queens.[34] Dinkins defeatedRudy Giuliani in the general election by a narrow margin, with Giuliani carrying both counties Koch won in the primary. Giuliani won a rematch against Dinkins in1993.
Koch was the Democratic U.S. Representative fromNew York's 17th congressional district from January 3, 1969, until January 3, 1973, when, after a redistricting, he representedNew York's 18th congressional district until December 31, 1977, when he resigned to become Mayor of New York City.[35]
Koch said he began his political career as "just a plain liberal", with positions including opposing theVietnam War and marching in the South for civil rights.[36] In April 1973, Koch coined the term "Watergate Seven" when, in response to U.S. SenatorLowell P. Weicker Jr.'s indicating that one of the men inWatergate scandal had been ordered in the spring of 1972 to keep certain senators and representatives under surveillance, he posted a sign on his office door reading, "These premises were surveilled by the Watergate Seven. Watch yourself".[37] At about the same time, Koch began his rightward shift toward being a "liberal with sanity" after reviewing the 1973 controversy around then-New York City MayorJohn Lindsay's attempt to place a 3,000-personhousing project in a middle-class community inForest Hills, Queens. Koch met with residents of the community, most of whom were against the proposal. He was convinced by their arguments, and spoke out against the plan, shocking some of his liberal allies.[38]
Koch was active in advocating for a greater U.S. role in advancing human rights within the context of fighting Communism. He had particular influence in the foreign aid budget, as he sat on theHouse Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign Operations. In 1976, Koch proposed that the U.S. cut off military aid and supplies to themilitary dictatorship of Uruguay. In mid-July 1976, theCIA learned that two high-level Uruguayan intelligence officers had discussed a possible assassination attempt on Koch byDirección de Inteligencia Nacional (DINA), the Chileansecret police under dictatorAugusto Pinochet. The CIA did not regard these threats as credible until after the September 1976assassination of Orlando Letelier in Washington, D.C., by DINA agents coordinated byOperation Condor. After that,Director of Central IntelligenceGeorge H. W. Bush informed Koch of the threat. Koch subsequently asked both the CIA and theFBI for protection, but none was extended.[39]
When Koch entered office the city was facing multiple serious issues. The city was in financial crisis, crime rates were soaring, and the city was still recovering from amajor blackout and looting. Koch instituted austerity measures which put the city on better financial foundations for his second term.[40]
During his first term as mayor, which many consider his best, a number of major events occurred in New York City.John Lennon's abrupt assassination sent shock waves around the world. Grief-stricken New Yorkers walked the streets openly crying for days after the shooting, which took place in front ofThe Dakota, Lennon's place of residence on Manhattan's Upper West Side.[41] Koch also dealt with thesecond transit strike, and pushed for the 1980 Democratic National Convention to be in NYC.[42] His first term also saw a sister city relationship begin with Beijing.
Among the events of Koch's second term as mayor were theBrooklyn Bridge's 100th anniversary, the appointing ofBenjamin Ward as the city's first ever African Americanpolice commissioner in 1983, the emergence of AIDS as a public health crisis, extensive media coverage ofBernhard Goetz's shooting of four African American teenagers in the subway in 1984, and the United Nations' 40th anniversary.[43]
Koch often deviated from the conventional liberal line, strongly supporting the death penalty, adding 3,500 officers to the NYPD in the 1980s,[44] and taking a hard line on "quality of life" issues, such as giving police broader powers in dealing with the homeless and signing legislation banning the playing of radios on subways and buses. These positions prompted harsh criticism from the local chapter of theAmerican Civil Liberties Union and many African-American leaders, particularly ReverendAl Sharpton.[45]
In 1984, Koch published his first memoir,Mayor, which became a best-seller and was adapted into anoff-Broadway and laterBroadway musical,Mayor.[citation needed]
In 1986, Koch signed a lesbian and gay rights ordinance for the city after the City Council passed the measure (on March 20), after 15 years of failed attempts by that body to approve such legislation. Despite his overall pro-lesbian and pro-gay-rights stance, he nonetheless backed up theNew York City Health Department's decision to shut down the city'sgay bathhouses in 1985 in response to concerns over the spread of AIDS. The enactment of the measure the next year placed the city in a dilemma, as it apparently meant that the bathhouses would have to be reopened because many heterosexual "sex clubs" – such asPlato's Retreat – were in operation in the city at the time, and allowing them to remain open while keeping the bathhouses shuttered would have been a violation of the newly adopted anti-discrimination law. The Health Department, with Koch's approval, reacted by ordering the heterosexual clubs, including Plato's Retreat, to close as well. Also in 1986, Koch participated inHands Across America and in theStatue of Liberty's 100th anniversary celebration. Koch's third term was also marked by the career-ending face-slashing of modelMarla Hanson, the paralyzing shooting of NYCPD detectiveSteven McDonald, thecrack cocaine epidemic and its related gangs, theRobert Chambers "preppie murder" case, theHoward Beach incident, and the racially motivatedmurder of Yusef Hawkins.[43]
Koch consistently demonstrated a fierce love for New York City, which some observers felt he carried to extremes on occasion: in 1984, he went on record as opposing the creation of a second telephonearea code for the city, claiming that this would divide the city's population; and when theNational Football League'sNew York Giants wonSuper Bowl XXI in January 1987, he refused to grant a permit for the team to hold their traditional victory parade in the city, quipping famously, "If they want a parade, let them parade in front of the oil drums inMoonachie" (a town in New Jersey adjacent to theEast Rutherford site of theMeadowlands Sports Complex, where the Giants play their home games).
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In his third term, Koch's popularity was shaken after a series of corruption scandals, touched off byDonald Manes's suicide and the Parking Violations Bureau scandal, which revealed that he had acceded to the requests of political allies (most notably Queens Borough President Manes, Bronx Democratic Party officialStanley M. Friedman and Brooklyn Democratic Party chairmanMeade Esposito, anAmerican Mafia associate long perceived as New York City's preeminent political leader) to stack city agencies with patronage appointments. There were no allegations that Koch obtained any financial benefit from the corruption, but the scandals undermined Koch's claims that he ran a patronage-free municipal government. Michael Tager attributes the scandals not to Koch's failures but to the steadily declining power of the Democratic machine and its bosses' desperate efforts to reverse the collapse.[46][47]
In July 1987, Koch proposed banning bicycling onFifth,Park andMadison avenues during weekdays, but many bicyclists protested and had the ban overturned.[48][49]
It has been said that race relations in Koch's last years in office were poor.[50] He became a controversial figure in the1988 presidential campaign with his public criticism of Democratic candidateJesse Jackson, who surprised many political observers by winning key primaries in March and running even with the front-runner, Massachusetts GovernorMichael Dukakis. As the April New York primary approached, Koch reminded voters of Jackson's earlierantisemitic statements, and said that Jews would be "crazy" to vote for Jackson. Koch endorsed Tennessee SenatorAl Gore, who had run well in his native South but hadn't won 20% in a northern state. As Koch's anti-Jackson rhetoric intensified, Gore seemed to shy away from Koch. On primary day, Gore finished a weak third with 10% of the vote and dropped out of the race. Jackson ran ten points behind Dukakis, whose nomination became assured after his New York win.[51]
A 1993 survey of historians, political scientists and urban experts conducted by Melvin G. Holli of theUniversity of Illinois at Chicago ranked Koch as the 15th-worst American big-city mayor to have served between 1820 and 1993.[52] Other analyses rate his tenure more favorably.[53]
In the final chapter ofEd Koch and the Rebuilding of New York City (Columbia University Press, 2010), NYU history professor Jonathan Soffer wrote: "Koch faced challenges greater than any New York mayor of the 20th century and met many of them." He added, "Koch bravely faced one of the worst crises in New York history, restructured the city with minimal help from the federal government and kept it solvent and growing for a generation." And Soffer concluded, "Koch's tireless personal lobbying campaign led to quite simply the greatest turnaround accomplished by any New York mayor in the twentieth century, including Fiorello La Guardia."[54]
InThe New York Times Book Review,Sam Roberts, former city editor for the New YorkDaily News and urban affairs correspondent forThe New York Times, reconciled Holli's negative survey of 1993 with Soffer's analysis of 2010, writing, "Perhaps the survey was taken too soon, before Mr. Koch's legacy could be fully appreciated."[55]
In the years following his mayoralty, Koch became a partner in the law firm ofRobinson, Silverman, Pearce, Aronsohn, and Berman LLP (nowBryan Cave LLP) and a commentator on politics, as well as reviewing movies and restaurants for newspapers, radio and television. He also became an adjunct professor atNew York University (NYU) and the judge onThe People's Court for two years (1997–99) following the retirement ofJudge Joseph Wapner. In 1999, he was a visiting professor atBrandeis University. Koch regularly appeared on the lecture circuit, and had a high-rated talk show onWABC radio. He also hosted his own online movie review show,The Mayor at the Movies.[56]
A street in southernTel Aviv was named after Koch in an August 12, 1993, ceremony attended by him alongside prominent Israeli and American dignitaries.[57][58]
In 2004, together with his sister Pat (also Pauline)[9] Koch Thaler, Koch wrote a children's book,Eddie, Harold's Little Brother; it tells the story of Koch's childhood, when he tried unsuccessfully to emulate his older brother Harold's baseball talents, before realizing that he should instead focus on what he was already good at, which was telling stories and speaking in public.[59]
TheNew York City Council voted to rename theQueensboro Bridge the Ed Koch Queensboro Bridge on March 23, 2011.[60] Later, city councilmanPeter Vallone introduced legislation banning the naming of New York City property after people who are still alive, but the legislation failed.[61]
Koch formed an organization called New York Uprising to push for statewide redistricting reform. In April 2011, he publicly upbraided 42 state legislators he claimed had broken their promises to support redistricting reform.[62]
In May 2011, Koch sat for a portrait byDmitry Borshch that has been exhibited at theInstitute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences,DePaul University,Brecht Forum, andCUNY Graduate Center, and is included in theCatalog of American Portraits at the Smithsonian'sNational Portrait Gallery.[63][64][65]
Koch began appearing in weekly movie review segments for an online show,Mayor at the Movies, in the summer of 2009.[66] He was an avid moviegoer who often saw two or three movies a weekend. Although he was invited to private screenings, Koch preferred to see films with a public audience and was often approached by moviegoers who were surprised to find him there. His reviews were outspoken and wry, with his rating system consisting not of stars but of a "plus" for a good film or a "minus" for a bad one. He sought out great documentaries, and had a particular passion for anything of Jewish interest.[67]
He had a particular passion for independent cinema and documentaries, but enjoyed dramas and action films as well. In addition toMayor at the Movies,[66] his film reviews were regularly featured onThe Huffington Post[68] and in the New York newspaperThe Villager.[69] Koch also appeared in more than 60 Hollywood films and television shows as himself, includingSex and the City,Spin City,Double Rush, a brief cameo in "The Muppets Take Manhattan" and also hostedSaturday Night Live.[70][71] A documentary about his life,Koch, had its world premiere at theHamptons International Film Festival on October 8, 2012, and was released theatrically on February 1, 2013 (coincidentally, the day of Koch's death).[72]
After leaving office, Koch frequently endorsed prominent Republican candidates, includingRudy Giuliani[73] andMichael Bloomberg[74] for mayor,Al D'Amato forU.S. Senate,Peter T. King forU.S. House,George Pataki[75] for governor, and, in 2004,George W. Bush for president.[76] Koch also endorsed Democrats, includingEliot Spitzer for governor in the 2006 election. He endorsedBill Bradley for president in 2000.[77]
Koch took back his endorsement of Spitzer in the aftermath of the governor'sprostitution scandal. He said, "At the time the prostitution episode emerged, I commented that nothing could explain his behavior other than the fact that he had a screw loose in his head. Probably several."[78]
Though Koch supported Giuliani's first mayoral bid, he became opposed to him in January 1996, and began writing a series of columns in the New YorkDaily News criticizing Giuliani, most frequently accusing him of being authoritarian and insensitive. In 1999, the columns were compiled into the bookGiuliani: Nasty Man. He resumed his attacks, and had the book republished, in 2007, after Giuliani announced his candidacy for president. In May 2007, Koch called Giuliani "a control freak" and said that "he wouldn't meet with people he didn't agree with. That's pretty crazy." He also said that Giuliani "was imbued with the thought that if he was right, it was like a God-given right. That's not what we need in a president."[79]
Koch originally endorsedHillary Clinton for president during the 2008 campaign,[80] then endorsed Democratic nomineeBarack Obama in the general election. In his endorsement of Obama, Koch wrote that he felt that (unlike in 2004) both candidates would do their best to protect both the United States and Israel from terrorist attacks, but that he agreed with Obama's domestic policies much more and that the idea of Republican vice-presidential nomineeSarah Palin ascending to the presidency "would scare me".[81] In 2010, he rescinded his support for Obama, saying that Obama could very well harmAmerican–Israeli relations.[82]
Koch endorsed RepublicanBob Turner for Congress in 2011 because he "wanted to send a message to Obama to take a stronger position in support of Israel."[83]
In October 2012, Koch toldAl Sharpton that after a conversation with Obama about his position on Israel he was satisfied, and endorsed his reelection.[84]
Early in 2013, Koch endorsedChristine Quinn in the Democratic primary for that year'smayoral election.[85]
Koch often wrote in defense of Israel and against antisemitism. He also appeared in the documentaryFahrenHYPE 9/11 defending President Bush and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and blastingMichael Moore. Koch was quoted in the film saying of Moore's filmFahrenheit 9/11, "It's not a documentary, it's a lie."
Koch praised New York GovernorAndrew Cuomo, saying that he had the right approach in reducing government spending and refraining from raising taxes.[86]
Koch was an early supporter of theIraq War. In July 2007, Koch wrote that he was "bailing out" of his previous support for that war, due to the failure of the United States'NATO allies, and otherArab countries, to contribute to the war effort. Koch wrote, "I would support our troops remaining in Iraq if our allies were to join us. But they have made it clear they will not." He added that the U.S. must still "prepare for the battles that will take place on American soil by the Islamic forces of terror who are engaged in a war that will be waged by them against Western civilization for at least the next 30 years."[87]
On April 8, 2010, Koch wrote a piece inThe Jerusalem Post excoriating what he saw as increasinganti-Catholicism in the media, largely made evident by coverage of the priest sex abuse scandals. While denouncing the abuse, Koch wrote, "the procession of articles on the same events are, in my opinion, no longer intended to inform, but simply to castigate." He also wrote that he believed that many in the media, some themselves Catholic, exhibited such anti-Catholicism largely because of their opposition to the Catholic Church's teachings on such issues as abortion, homosexuality, and artificial contraception. He stated that, while he opposed the Church's teaching in all these matters, he firmly believed that the Church had the right to espouse these beliefs and to expect its members to espouse them as well, calling the Church "a force for good in the world, not evil."[88]
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A practiced public speaker since his days stumping forAdlai Stevenson, Koch was well known for his quips andone-liners.[89] A few include:
Koch was a resident ofGreenwich Village for most of his adult life. At the time of his death, he lived at 2 Fifth Avenue, overlookingWashington Square Park.[90]
Koch never married, and rumors about hissexual orientation became an issue in the 1977 mayoral election with the appearance of placards and posters (disavowed by the Cuomo campaign) with the slogan "Vote for Cuomo, Not the Homo." Koch denounced the attack.[91]
In 1989, Koch was interviewed about a book he had coauthored with CardinalJohn J. O'Connor. When the interviewer asked Koch to clarify his views on homosexuality relative to O'Connor, Koch responded, "I happen to believe that there's nothing wrong with homosexuality. It's whatever God made you. It happens that I'm a heterosexual."[92] He once toldNew York magazine, "Listen, there's no question that some New Yorkers think I'm gay, and voted for me nevertheless. The vast majority don't care, and others don't think I am. And I don't give a shit either way!"[7][93][94] He was frequently accompanied at political functions by his friendBess Myerson,[95] who also acted as co-chair of his 1977 election campaign.[96]
In a 2022 article,The New York Times confirmed Koch's homosexuality, based on interviews with close confidants. TheTimes reported that Koch disclosed his sexuality only to friends who were also gay, and was only known to have had one long-term relationship, with health care consultant Richard W. Nathan. Koch quickly ended the relationship after being elected mayor. In the 1980s, activist and writerLarry Kramer, who was critical of Koch's handling of theAIDS epidemic, unsuccessfully attempted toout him after learning of the relationship with Nathan. This influenced Koch's insistence on remaining closeted for the rest of his life, as he did not "want to give activists like Mr. Kramer the satisfaction of seeing him come out, after they had tried so hard to see him outed".[7]
Koch had a mild stroke in 1987, but was able to resume his duties as mayor within about a week.[7][97] A former spokesman later suggested that the anxiety Koch experienced from efforts to out him during that period caused a decline in his health, which could have contributed to the stroke.[7]
After his mayoralty, Koch experienced further health problems, particularly heart issues, and was frequently hospitalized in the final months of his life.[98][99] On January 31, 2013, he was admitted toColumbia University Irving Medical Center in Manhattan due to fatigue, where he died from heart failure at 2 a.m. the next day, aged 88.[93][98] His funeral took place on February 4, 2013, atTemple Emanu-El, aReform Jewish congregation in Manhattan.[100] Former presidentBill Clinton addressed the congregation, serving as President Obama's representative. Other speakers included then-mayor Michael Bloomberg.New York City Police Department helicopters gave a fly-over at the service.[101][100]
Koch purchased a burial plot inTrinity Church Cemetery in April 2008 so that he could be buried in Manhattan. It is the only graveyard in the borough that accepts new burials. He chose to put the last words of the late journalistDaniel Pearl on his tombstone: "My father is Jewish, my mother is Jewish, I am Jewish."[102]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Woodward Kingman | Member of theNew York City Council from the2nd district 1967–1969 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Mayor of New York City 1978–1989 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNew York's 17th congressional district 1969–1973 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNew York's 18th congressional district 1973–1977 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forMayor of New York City 1977,1981,1985 | Succeeded by |
| Legal offices | ||
| Preceded by | Judge ofThe People's Court 1997–1999 | Succeeded by |
|  | |
