Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch died Friday of congestive heart failure, according to his spokesman George Arzt. He was 88.
The lawyer-turned-public-servant was a U.S. Congressman from 1968 until he ran for mayor of the city in 1977. He served three terms -- from 1978 to 1989 -- until he was defeated in a Democratic primary by David Dinkins.
After he left office, Koch -- whose ebullient personality made him popular nationwide -- practiced law, hosted a radio show, was a newspaper columnist and made countless appearances on TV series as himself. His cameos included "Sex and the City," "Spin City," and "Picket Fences." Ref. CNN
Ed Koch (Hover)
Ed Koch's Message to Mario Cuomo from Beyond the Grave: 'You goof!':
In an interview with the New York Times that was "Not to be made public until Mr. Koch's death," former NYC mayor Ed Koch-who died earlier this morning-finally said what he really wanted to about his former mayoral opponent Mario Cuomo-he's "A goof." Ref. Source 9