The fundamental question about the Koch administration is no longer why the mayor gave power to so many crooks, but exactly what happened years ago when whistleblowers, law enforcement investigators, and private citizens first tried to warn him
“In Ed Koch's city, Stanley Friedman and Donald Manes were the twin towers of insider trading, the most powerful of the mayor's men. The just-completed trial record of their crimes is in a sense Ed Koch's third book — a candid account, at last, of his government”
“Witnesses against Friedman called him 'a stand-up guy' who had 'brass balls.' For this he deserves a certain grudging respect — and about 10 years in prison”
“The Friedman records, seized by the feds early last year, unveil the machinations of a remarkable range of prominent New Yorkers — from mobsters like Tony Salerno and Tommy Gambino to publishing giant Si Newhouse and developer king Donald Trump”
“Ed Koch, who first achieved fame by conquering Tammany Hall boss Carmine DeSapio in the early 1960s, has become DeSapio, the personification of patronage, conflicts of interest, and cynical abuse of the public trust”
“Meade Esposito is a shrewd manipulator who has worn many masks. Even the trademark cigar he always held in his hand was a mere prop for the role of Boss. He never lit the cigar. Now, at 79, the bill is coming due”
“I do this for a living,” he said once. “This is my life, not my hobby!”
That attitude was at the heart of the system that later destroyed him and will almost certainly survive him.
