The scene right before John Liu arrived.

Across the breadth of policy issues, the Democratic candidates for mayor this year tend to share similar viewpoints. However, there are some notable exceptions, and at a debate sponsored by The New York Observer and 92Y, another one was revealed last night: their mayoral role models.

The first two candidates to speak, former Comptroller Bill Thompson and Council Speaker Christine Quinn, couldn't choose just one mayor. Rather, the pair saw themselves as pulling from the best attributes from four and cited Ed Koch's spirit, David Dinkins's compassion, Rudy Giuliani's toughness and Michael Bloomberg's vision.

"I've been asked that question before and I've made sure that I haven't alienated former mayors," Mr. Thompson joked. "Look, I think as you look back at the mayors we've had as mayor of New York--at least in my adult life--we've had mayors that have represented a number of different things and I think that's what you try to take away. ... You want to take parts from and emulate them and that's the type of mayor that I would be--the best of all worlds, if you will. The best."

"There are things you'd want to take from all of them in different ways," said Ms. Quinn. “You want to take all of that together and find the best ingredients."

Not every politician on stage wanted to sample the full mayoral palate, however. To wit, Comptroller John Liu--who arrived from another event in the middle of this question--directly stated his admiration for Mr. Dinkins.

"When I got out of school, Mayor Dinkins was running for mayor and I volunteered on his campaign," he said. "I would take him as my role model mainly for the reason that he expanded opportunities for so many people who didn't have opportunities before. I think that's something we need to get back to."

Mr. Liu nevertheless offered some humorous support for Mr. Giuliani's famous crusade against the city's squeegee men, as well as some more sincere praise for his leadership in the wake of the World Trade Center attacks.

"Rudy Giuliani was able to get, I guess, ... people to stop washing their windshields," he explained. "For some reason a lot of people liked that. I appreciated that because it was always difficult to get going once the light turned green until Rudy came along! And then I do certainly admire his management after 9/11."

Like Mr. Liu, the final two candidates could cite just one former mayor--Fiorello LaGuardia in their cases--as an administration they would hope to emulate.

"Fiorello LaGuardia ... is my ideal of a mayor because he was truly independent," former Councilman Sal Albanese said. "He took on party bosses, he put together a fusion ticket of citizens around the city and got to City Hall without being indebted to special interests. That's why he had such a great tenure as mayor. ... And he's someone that I would consider a role model."

"I'm going to say the greatest mayor I think we've had--I wish I met him, I never got to--was Fiorello LaGuardia," Public Advocate Bill de Blasio contended. "I don't think it's even close. Look, Fiorello to me was the exemplar because he epitomized an activist government and a government that got things done but with a compassion and a sense of fairness."

Mr. de Blasio was also the lone candidate to offer an anti-role model of sorts, as he suggested some of his opponents were wrong to want any piece of Mr. Giuliani's mayoralty in their own.

"I got to say to my colleagues, I respect your even-handedness, I just don't have a lot good to say about Rudy Giuliani, who I think profoundly divided us," he said, again touting the LaGuardia administration's inclusiveness. "In the case of Rudy, I think, sadly, his legacy is a lot of division that took a long time to overcome."

John Catsimatidis' memorial to Ed Koch.

Readers of Wednesday's New York Post may have noticed a full-page tribute to the late former Mayor Ed Koch signed by Republican mayoral candidate John Catsimatidis and his wife, Margo. When Politicker called Mr. Catsimatidis to ask about the ad this afternoon, the billionaire businessman was quick to point out it wasn't a campaign expense.

"I paid for it personally," he said as soon as we mentioned the tribute.

The ad featured a note from Mr. Catsimatidis and his wife calling Mr. Koch "a great New Yorker" below a picture of the two men standing together wearing one of the neckties Mr. Catsimatidis designs for friends each year.

"Every year I design a necktie for family and friends, and I always made sure Mayor Koch got the first one in the city," the ad says.

Mr. Catsimatidis told us he used to have lunch with Mr. Koch "like every six or seven months" and that the ex-mayor "always loved the ties."

"He was a great New Yorker and I think his name has to live on," said Mr. Catsimatidis. "I don't want people to forget him."

While Mr. Catsimatidis is running as a Republican, he had no qualms about praising Mr. Koch, a Democrat, so publicly. When we asked whether he was concerned the tribute might be slightly off-message, Mr. Catsimatidis proudly pointed to his status as a former fundraiser for Bill Clinton.

"Wasn't I a Clinton Democrat? Go Google me, find out in 1992, who the closest guy in New York was to Bill Clinton," he said. "My apartment was permanently wired by the Secret Service."

Despite Mr. Catsimatidis' admiration for the former mayor, Mr. Koch had made it clear prior to his death that he planned to support a Democratic contender, Council Speaker Christine Quinn, in this year's election. Mr. Catsimatidis said he never tried to persuade Mr. Koch to back him. However, had the mayor lived, Mr. Catsimatidis thinks he might have been able to win him over.

"You never know, because me and him did the Congressman Turner campaign together," said Mr. Catsimatidis noting a recent time Mr. Koch made an endorsement across party lines. "Do your homework on that one."

Mr. Catsimatidis was not willing to divulge how much money he spent to pay for the tribute.

"It's confidential. I can't tell you," he said. "You wouldn't want me to tell if I took an ad in The Observer. You wouldn't want me to tell people that price either, right?"

View a large-sized version of the ad below.

Speaker Quinn and her father address one of the reporter gaggles in front of the temple.

At Temple Emanu-El in the Upper East Side this morning, hundreds of New Yorkers--including a small army of elected officials--braved ice-cold wind gusts and swarms of reporters to pay their respects to former Mayor Ed Koch, who passed away last Friday. The long list of top-tier politicos in attendance included current and former governors, mayors and senators. And every one of them had a fond memory of Koch to share.

"My last conversation with him was when I went to his office to ask him to support me for comptroller." Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer recalled, for example. "I prepared. I expected to have a long conversation. He looked up at me and said, 'I endorse you. Go win. Goodbye.'"

Senator Chuck Schumer remembered a long-standing feud he had with Mr. Koch that culminated in Koch endorsing his Republican rival, Senator Al D'Amato. However, when Mr. Schumer offered a small olive branch, the rivalry immediately melted away.

"I've got lot of Ed Koch memories. How could anyone not have a whole lot of Ed Koch memories?" Mr. Schumer mused. "I was the only assemblyman outside of his district to endorse him [in 1977]. In 1989 I sat down with him and said 'Don't run again. You've been a great mayor, but don't run again.' And he didn't talk to me in 10 years. Then he worked hard for Al D'Amato, in part for that reason. Then, I called him after I won and said, 'Why don't you come to my swearing in and I'll acknowledge you?' He came and we were friends ever since."

Mr. Schumer's colleague, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, also had warm memories of Koch.

"What I liked most of him is he was always free with advice," Ms. Gillibrand said. "The advice I really appreciated was where was the best place to get Chinese food, where was the best place and which movies to see."

We inquired further as to which restaurants Koch had recommended.

"A number of them! He likes Shun Lee ... [and] Peking Duck House. He had some favorites in Chinatown. He was very--" Ms. Gillibrand answered, pausing to find the adjective to describe Koch's passion on the subject. "Well-informed."

Overall, Ms. Gillibrand described Koch as having been "as quintessentially New York as the Empire State Building." But she was hardly alone in using the term "quintessential" to describe the late mayor. Indeed, official after official also labeled him a "a quintessential New Yorker," including Mayor Michael Bloomberg in a lengthy eulogy and former Mayor David Dinkins, who bested Koch in his bid for a fourth term.

"He's a quintessential New Yorker. You know, 'Hi! I'm Ed Koch! How'm I doing?'" he recalled. "I can see him standing at the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge during the [transit workers] strike, encouraging people to walk to work. I remember times like that. He never gave up on our city."

(Mr. Dinkins also shared a somewhat morbid reaction to today's proceedings: “Well I'm not much younger than he, so that's one of the thoughts I have. How long will I be around?")

Many of the aspiring mayors who want to follow in Koch's footsteps were present too, reminiscing on his contributions and the lessons that could be learned should they succeed in their own quests to lead the city. And even though Koch was a proud Democrat, this extended to both sides of the partisan aisle.

"Ed Koch always told the truth. Good, bad or indifferent, he always told the truth. And that's a lesson to be learned for anyone who wants to hold office," Republican contender Joe Lhota said. "The thing I remember, Ed Koch in the early 1980's ... with his hands above his head, yelling, 'How'm I doing? How'm I doing?' Actually listening to the people. And that's something most people don't remember. Ed Koch listened to all New Yorkers, and that's a great trait."

For her part, Council Speaker Christine Quinn, whom Koch had endorsed in this year's mayoral election, said she'd miss Mr. Koch's rather simplistic suggestions.

"I will miss being able to call Ed Koch and ask [for] his advice," Ms. Quinn said. "At the end of almost every conversation, he'd say, ‘But really do what you want. And if people don't like it, just bleep them.' So it was always good advice to get."

When put to the question, "How did he do," Mr. Quinn was similarly simple and direct.

"He did better than anybody could have done," she flatly replied.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg (Photo: Getty)

Mayor Michael Bloomberg delivered one of the eulogies at former Mayor Ed Koch's funeral in Manhattan this morning and he praised his predecessor for an attitude "full of humor and chutzpah" that "embodied the spirit of New York City" and made him "our City’s quintessential Mayor." In his speech, Mayor Bloomberg also credited Koch with laying the foundation that allowed subsequent mayor's to make the five boroughs "great again." In a nod to the setting of the funeral, the Jewish Temple Emanu-El, Mr. Bloomberg compared Koch's achievements to the story of Moses.

"I’ve been doing my biblical research, and I think it’s only fitting that this week’s Torah portion is about Moses leading the Jews out of bondage in Egypt. Now, Ed, in his own way, was our Moses. Just with a little less hair," Mayor Bloomberg said. "He led us out of darkness and he gave us hope. And while he may not have parted the Red Sea, he did break a subway strike by standing on a bridge and shouting words of encouragement."

Mayor Bloomberg continued his biblical comparison with a quip about Koch's fondness for the spotlight.

"Just as Moses died right before he reached the Promised Land, Ed died hours before the documentary about him opened in theaters. Leave it to Ed to find the best way to maximize publicity for a film about his life," said Mayor Bloomberg. "No one ever enjoyed the theater of politics more than Ed. And no one – no one – was ever better at it."

In his eulogy, Mayor Bloomberg also noted he was "particularly thrilled" that Koch "picked my neighborhood corner shul for his funeral" making for an easy commute from his Upper East Side townhouse. He also said the location was fitting given its proximity to the Queensboro Bridge, which Mayor Bloomberg named after Koch in 2011. He described an anecdote meant to demonstrated the joy Koch felt having a part of the city christened in his honor. 

"I think there's no doubt that Ed is beaming looking down on all of us assembled here and I think it is fitting that he picked this place just a few blocks from a certain East River Span. ... Before last year’s State of the City speech, if you remember, we ran a video that included a shot of Ed standing at that entrance ramp, yelling to all the cars that approached, ‘Welcome to my bridge! Welcome to my bridge!’ Mayor Bloomberg said. "Needless to say, it brought down the house. But what most people don’t know is, after the cameras stopped rolling, Ed stayed out there in the freezing cold for another 20 minutes, yelling ‘Welcome to my bridge!’"

Mayor Bloomberg also shared another story about a video Koch filmed for the city where he was asked if he would ever consider living in another locale.

"Ed smiled, then he looked straight into the camera and said: ‘The only place I would accept is heaven; nothing else would take the place,’" said Mayor Bloomberg.

After telling this tale, Mayor Bloomberg concluded with a final biblical joke.

"It’s not hard to picture Ed getting up to heaven, meeting God, and saying with a big smile, ‘How’d I do?’ And there is no doubt–Cardinal, you’re not going to be happy about this," said Mayor Bloomberg apologizing to the Archbishop of New York, who was also in attendance. "But I’m telling you, I’ve talked to God and I know what’s happening–God said what so many people around the city and the country, and all over the world, have been saying over the last few days: Ed, you did great. You really did great."

Ed Koch (Photo: Emily Anne Epstein)

Andrew Cuomo is among the mourners attending Ed Koch's funeral today in Manhattan, but the governor and his family didn't always enjoy the best relationship with the former mayor.

Koch ran against Governor Cuomo's father, Mario, twice. They first faced off when Koch made it to City Hall in the 1977 mayoral election. In 1982, Koch ran for governor and was defeated by the elder Mr. Cuomo. The 1977 campaign included an incident where posters alluding to the widespread rumors about Mr. Koch's sexuality by proclaiming "Vote For Cuomo, Not The Homo" were placed all along Queens Boulevard.

This situation evidently caused a lasting rift between Koch and the Cuomos. However in one of his final interviews with Politicker, Koch explained the signs weren't among the reasons he initially had issues with Cuomo the younger. 

There have long been rumors that Andrew Cuomo was responsible for the inflammatory posters. In a 2007 interview taped with the New York Times with the understanding it was to be aired only after his death, Koch said Mario Cuomo promised to "do something" about the signs. Koch admitted he didn't think Mario actually attempted to stop and the posters  situation caused him to have animosity towards both members of the Cuomo clan.

"I don't think he did anything. That matter has affected our relationship from '77 through this year," said Koch. "We get along and we got along as mayor and governor, but I always held it against him. I also held it against his son, Andy Cuomo. Even though social relationships when we meet in public are good, underneath, he knows I know what I'm really thinking: 'You prick!'"

Andrew Cuomo in a high school yearbook photo taken about two years before the 1977 mayoral campaign.

Koch told us he believed Andrew Cuomo's denials of having ever been involved in the poster flap. In spite of this, Koch admitted there were things he held against the younger Mr. Cuomo. Specifically, Koch was upset with Mr. Cuomo  for criticism of the governor's ex-wife, Kerry Kennedy Cuomo, that appeared in the press attributed to sources close to Mr. Cuomo during their contentious divorce. He also blamed Mr. Cuomo, who dropped out of the 2002 governor's race when he was running on the Liberal Party line and prosecuted the party's former boss Ray Harding in a pay-for-play scandal, for destroying the party.

"He appeared before a gay group looking for their support, I think it was when he was attorney general, and he said, 'I had nothing to do with it,'" Koch said of Mr. Cuomo and the poster incident. "And he came up to see me and he said, I'd like your support.' And I said, Andrew, I could never support you. I'm not talking about 'Vote For Cuomo, Not the Homo,' because you said you didn't do it. ... I don't know who did it, but somebody did it. I'm willing to accept that. I'm not desirous of holding grudges anymore.' That's what I said to him, 'It takes too much energy. But I can't vote for you because of what you did in attacking your wife and also you destroyed the Liberal Party.'"

Mr. Cuomo addressed these accusations and was able to earn Koch's support.

"He said, 'I didn't attack my wife, my friends did, and I told them not to do it and I'm sorry they did it. And I did injure the Liberal Party, but they have forgiven me. Ray Harding has forgiven me,'" Koch said Mr. Cuomo told him. "So, I said, 'Look, if he's forgiven you, then I don't have to hold it against you, I'll endorse you.' And I endorsed him."

Though Koch endorsed Mr. Cuomo when he ran for attorney general and for governor, his loyalties seem to lie elsewhere in terms of the national stage. Both Mr. Cuomo and Hillary Clinton are rumored to be considering presidential bids in 2016. In his final days, Koch was clear he supported Ms. Clinton over any other potential opponents. However, Koch said he would eagerly back Mr. Cuomo for another term in Albany.

"I think he's fulfilled the goals that I hoped he would achieve," said Koch of Mr. Cuomo. "I think he's done a marvelous job."

Koch, who is well-known for constantly courting press and held multiple daily briefings, said he was particularly impressed with the way Mr. Cuomo, who has had a more distant relationship with the press, handles the media.

"What he did that surprised me, he avoided the press," Koch told us. "I said to him at a dinner once ... he came over to say hello and I said, 'Your'e doing a terrific job and you're obviously listening to your dad and not running after the press and looking for interviews. It's marvelous.' And he said, 'It's not my dad, it's my mom. My mom gave me the advice.'"

Additional reporting by Colin Campbell.

(Updated to note Mr. Cuomo's withdrawal from the 2002 gubernatorial election.) 

(Photo: Getty)

In 1981, when Ed Koch was mayor, President Barack Obama moved to New York City to study at Columbia University. Today, Mr. Obama joined New Yorkers in mourning Mr. Koch's death.

"Ed Koch was an extraordinary Mayor, irrepressible character, and quintessential New Yorker," Mr. Obama said in a statement. "He took office at a time when New York was in fiscal crisis, and helped his city achieve economic renewal, expand affordable housing, and extend opportunity to more of its people."

Mr. Koch's and Mr. Obama's relationship warmed and cooled in recent years. Mr. Koch endorsed Mr. Obama in the 2008 presidential election but began to sharply criticize his administration's treatment of Israel, especially when the president called for the country's pre-1967 borders to be the starting point for a Palestinian peace deal. Mr. Koch's frustration notably culminated in 2011, when he openly considered a cross-party endorsement in the special election to replace outgoing Rep. Anthony Weiner.

"I saw him appear on New York 1 where he suggested he might support the Republican candidate in a special election--that would be me--as a protest against President Obama's Israeli policy," former Congressman Bob Turner told Politicker this afternoon. "So I called him."

The two scheduled a meeting at Mr. Koch's Manhattan office where they clicked on key elements of foreign and domestic policy. Mr. Koch determined that a high-profile election in a heavily Jewish congressional district was exactly the right route to influencing Mr. Obama.

"I think he was a little cagey but he was really charming," Mr. Turner recalled. "He told me he had supported Republicans in the past but it's not something he's crazy about. He made his points clear. ... He came out to political events, he was quite helpful. I think he was the determining factor in that special election. ... Wherever he went he was very well-received. He had a higher popularity rating than the New York Yankees! He was in the high 70's of approval."

Mr. Turner would go on to win that election in an upset, and after Mr. Obama subsequently gave a staunchly pro-Israel speech at the United Nations, Mr. Koch considered his "message" to Mr. Obama on Israel very much sent. Mr. Koch endorsed the president's reelection campaign just a few weeks after Mr. Turner's victory.

"I believe the recent vote in the 9th Congressional District in New York affected in a positive way the policy of the U.S. on the Mideast," the former mayor explained at the time

For his part, Mr. Obama referenced Mr. Koch's advocacy for Israel in his statement today.

"In public office and beyond, his energy, force of personality, and commitment to causes ranging from civic issues to the security of the state of Israel always informed and enlivened the public discourse," the president said. "Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to Ed’s loved ones, and to the city that survives him."

(Photo: Getty)

Former Mayor Ed Koch and Governor Andrew Cuomo have a long and colorful history, stretching all the way back to Mr. Koch's initial mayoral election against Mario Cuomo, the current governor's father, in a hotly-contested, occasionally bitter 1977 race that Mr. Koch ultimately won. Although Mr. Koch continued to tweak the younger Cuomo for years after--calling him a "schmuck" in his latest documentary, for example--the two became political allies on a number of issues during Mr. Cuomo's political career and governorship. Earlier today, Mr. Cuomo described his final words with the late Mr. Koch and the inspiration he received from them.

"I talked to the mayor two days ago. He's in the hospital. .... I said to him, 'Mister Mayor, how are you feeling?' [He replied,] 'Stronger every day. Stronger every day.'" Mr. Cuomo recalled in a radio interview with New York Post columnist Fred Dicker. "To me, that's the essence of Ed Koch. Stronger every day. Tomorrow's going to be better. Optimism. Look forward. Don't look back. You think the situation is bleak? Nah, we're going to conquer. We're going to win. We're going to be better. Stronger every day. Now, he had to know where he was, right? 'Stronger every day.' How beautiful is that?"

Despite his serious health condition, Mr. Cuomo said Mr. Koch was more interested in the policy details of New York State's recently-enacted gun control bill and ending Washington gridlock so something similar can be done federally.

"He--you're not going to like to hear this--but he was all excited about the gun bill," Mr. Cuomo explained, teasing Mr. Dicker over his constant criticism of the legislation. "New York did it and he was talking about Washington and the confusion and the controversy in Washington about it. New York had made progress again. He was supportive of me in my race and he was very excited about that."

Mr. Cuomo also reflected on that 1977 race that pitted him so sharply against Mr. Koch, describing the political talents of his father and Mr. Koch as "just beautiful to watch."

"I really first encountered Ed Koch in the 1977 mayoral," Mr. Cuomo remembered. "I was a kid, I was about 19 years old. At that time you had Ed Koch and Mario Cuomo, and they were like the Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier of our time. They were both extraordinary talents, different styles, different personalities, different people, but  really they were just beautiful to watch. They were both a high point of the profession. ... Ed Koch was more gregarious, more outgoing and he [was] delighted in being a character. He was great for New York City. He was a New York City, ethnic, bigger-than life character. ... He was extraordinary and he did it for a long, long time."

The governor, who's known for his forceful management style, labeled Mr. Koch as a "case study" for him as he eventually pursued his own career in elected office.

"Ed Koch won the 1977 mayoral obviously. And he was a very instructive case study to me. He loved government, was aggressive about what government could do," Mr. Cuomo said. "He was very activist in making the government operate. We talk about performance, he was about performance. He was about integrity, attracting the best and the brightest. He made government fun and cool again. People loved to be in the city government with him and there was an energy and a buzz about being in city government and you were fighting the good fight. He used the government very well."

Reverend Al Sharpton (Photo: Getty)

MSNBC host and civil rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton released a statement this morning reacting to former Mayor Ed Koch's death. In his statement, Mr. Sharpton noted he eventually came to "understand Koch," though he was initially a staunch critic of the mayor and received his "first arrest" protesting the Koch administration.

"I am saddened to hear of the passing of former Mayor Ed Koch," Mr. Sharpton began. "Throughout his twelve years of being mayor, I was one of his most vociferous critics. In fact, my first arrest was leading a sit-in on him about summer jobs for youth in 1978. We later united and worked together around the country in a national campaign for nonviolent drug offenders to give them a second chance in life, and we ended up getting to know and understand each other."

Despite describing how he eventually worked together with Koch, Mr. Sharpton said they still had their share of disagreements in the former mayor's later years.

"Although we argued about everything from my marching in Bensonhurst, to Florida and Trayvon Martin, and although we disagreed on politics from his views on President Obama to other matters, I have found that he was never a phony or a hypocrite," said Mr. Sharpton.

Mr. Sharpton concluded his statement by praising Koch's frank nature.

"He would not patronize or deceive you," Mr. Sharpton said. "He said what he meant. He meant what he said. He fought for what he believed. May he rest in peace."

Ed Koch standing in his Midtown office on January 18. (Photo: Emily Anne Epstein)

Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch died earlier this morning at the age of 88 after being hospitalized for congestive heart disease. Mr. Koch served as the 105th Mayor of New York City for three terms from 1978 until 1989. With a larger-than-life personality, Mr. Koch relished a position that allowed him to become something of a national ambassador for New York City.

Though critics accused Mr. Koch of worsening racial tensions in the city and not doing enough to fight the AIDS crisis that was particularly devastating to the gay community, Mr. Koch was fiercely proud of  his legacy, specifically, what he saw as his efforts to save New York from the financial crisis of the late 1970's, his vast expansion of public housing and programs and efforts he saw as bringing a more meritocratic approach to local government. Politicker conducted one of the final interviews with Mr. Koch on January 17, just two weeks before his death, and he characterized his administration as paving the way for his successors.

"I'm proud of what I did," he said. "I also believe that both Giuliani and, particularly, Mike Bloomberg have made tremendous contributions to this city. ... And I look upon what I did as laying the groundwork and the foundation on which they could build, and without what I did, they couldn't have done what they did. So, I'm proud of my contributions."

In his later years, Mr. Koch remained involved in politics and, as he was throughout his time in office, engaged with the press. He penned movie reviews online, wrote books and newspaper columns, endorsed in many local and national elections up until his death and served on a panel of political "Wise Guys" on NY1's nightly political program Inside City Hall. Today, a documentary about his life, Koch, premieres in theaters. When we spoke with Mr. Koch last month, we joked with him that, with his memoirs once turned into a musical and, his appearances in television, books, the web and, now, the film, he was something of a mayoral "king of all media." Mr. Koch clearly enjoyed the suggestion.

"I never thought of it that way, but you could say that," he said with a laugh and huge grin.

Mr. Koch got his start in politics in 1963 as a district leader by defeating Carmine DeSapio, the last boss of the notorious Tammany Hall political machine that dominated city politics from the late 18th century until the 1960's. He went on to serve in the City Council and for four terms in the House of Representatives.

(Photo: Emily Anne Epstein)

In his later years, Mr. Koch became something of a mayor emeritus, a man whose face and name were once almost synonymous with the five boroughs and allowed him to enjoy continued life in the public eye until his final days. One of his proudest moments came in March 2011 when the Queensboro Bridge was renamed in his honor--a move that was not without opposition in City Hall. The new documentary about his life features many scenes in which Mr. Koch seems to have almost paternal feelings about the city, including one in which, while driving past the bridge he lovingly refers to it as "my bridge." We asked him whether it would be accurate to say, as a mayor in winter, it would be accurate to describe him as feeling "protective" of the city he once ruled. He laughed and pointed to another scene in the film.

"You know, the film opens with me coming back from Washington when I was a congressman and I say as I look out the plane window, 'And this all belongs to me.' It's a very exciting moment and it happened every time I rode either way and came back at night," he said. "So do I feel something very special about the city? Of course."

Mr. Koch became mayor after the 1977 election, a campaign in which he was decidedly an underdog. As a bachelor and a man with a shrill voice that consultants and vocal coaches urged him to correct, Mr. Koch was in many ways an improbable choice for the city. However, by emphasizing a desire to restore order after the riots that followed the 1977 blackouts and a bombastic, combative approach to campaigning, he was able to earn a victory.

"The very fact that I became mayor in 1977 conveys how you can't figure out what the people will do," he told us.  "Nobody thought I would be elected. When I entered I got four percent of the vote in the first poll, four percent."

Throughout that first election and his administration Mr. Koch was known for rather gleefully sparring with his opponents and the reporters who covered him. He seemed to enjoy bringing what he agreed was a "New York attitude" to governance.

"I was not afraid of the press or the militants," he said. "It was uncomfortable, but I was not afraid. With respect to the press, I knew I knew more than they knew about city matters. With respect to the militants, I understood it. I mean, everybody believed in those days that they were being screwed, you know, that somebody was getting ahead of them."

Mr. Koch said his love of political sparring was cemented during an incident during his mayoralty where he confronted opponents on a picket line in his inimitable style and best-known catchphrase.

"There was this huge picket line of the union people with signs saying, 'Koch must go, Koch must go,' and they're yelling, just really angry," said Mr. Koch. "As I walked through the line to get to the entrance there were two women, one white, one black, and they were yelling, 'Koch must go! Koch must go!' And I couldn't help myself, so I turned to them and I said, 'How'm I doing?' Honest to god, they both said, 'You're doing wonderful, wonderful.' And then, as I walked further, then it began again, 'Koch must go!' So, it was at that moment that I realized that 75 percent of all the attacks are simply theatrics, drama, fun in a way. And it reduced the pain."

His critics felt he ignored their concerns, particularly as AIDS ravaged the city, when he shut a hospital that was beloved by the black community in Harlem and when he appointed a longtime associate with questionable credentials to head the Health and Hospitals Corporation in the mid-1980's. However, Mr. Koch argued he simply couldn't keep all New York's diverse constituencies happy while doing an honest job overseeing the five boroughs and fiercely defended his efforts to "run the most merit-situated government that we've ever had." Particularly, he viewed reforms he brought to the city's judicial system as one of his signature achievements.

"I'm very proud of--I changed the judicial system so that I no longer searched for candidates and fulfilled political obligations, which prior mayors had done using the appointments--the mayor appoints criminal court and family court judges," Mr. Koch said. "I created a committee in which the judicial agencies ... had as many delegates on there ... as I did. And then, in addition, we took the deans of three law schools and they were given the responsibility of finding candidates for each vacancy."

His system endured beyond his term although Mr. Koch notes one of his successors, Rudy Giuliani, "kept the system, but violated it." Mr. Koch and Mr. Giuliani's relationship varied wildly over the years. In 1989, when Mr. Giuliani first ran for mayor Mr. Koch supported David Dinkins. As a Jew, Mr. Koch's support was instrumental in helping Mr. Dinkins become the city's first African-American mayor at a time when tensions between Jews and blacks ran high. Mr. Koch had previously inflamed this rivalry when he attacked African-American presidential candidate Jesse Jackson for referring to New York as "Hymietown." After four years, Mr. Koch backed Mr. Giuliani in his successful effort to unseat Mr. Dinkins.

"When David had a terrible single term with Crown Heights as his legacy--nice man, but unsuccessful mayor--I then supported Giuliani against David," explained Mr. Koch.

In his former role as U.S. Attorney, Mr. Giuliani prosecuted many officials involved in corruption scandals that were seen as stopping his effort to run against Mr. Dinkins and secure a fourth term. In the end, Mr. Koch noted he was never directly implicated in the scandals.

"If Giuliani thought I was corrupt, you could have been sure he would have gone after me. You know, they always were after what they referred to as the 'big fish' and the danger in all these things is that the people they go after will lie and say, 'No, no it was the mayor,' in order to be able to get out from under," said Mr. Koch. "You had a U.S. Attorney who was very competent and who, ultimately, wanted to be mayor, so he was going to certainly try to destroy the then current mayor and he didn't."

Despite his eventual support for Mr. Giuliani, Mr. Koch became an opponent of his administration and began harshly criticizing him in a series of late 1990's Daily News columns. He eventually compiled the columns into a bluntly-titled book, Giuliani: Nasty Man, that he republished when Mr. Giuliani  attempted to run for president in 2007. However, in the end, Mr. Koch referred to Mr. Giuliani as simply, "a good mayor."

(Emily Anne Epstein)

Before his death, Mr. Koch had already made his endorsement in the next mayoral election and, even the upcoming 2016 presidential campaign, clear. For him, one of the most important national issues is the country's relationship with Israel. He described his backing of Israel as stemming from a desire to see his fellow Jews protected.

"I'm an American, this country's given me everything. I love this country. My support of Israel is, in part, similar to the support of a Polish-American who loves the fact that Poland stood up to the Russians," Mr. Koch said. "That is not due loyalty, which is often charged falsely, it is that I know that every night there is some Jewish community in the world that's under attack by the people in the same country in which they're citizens and the government's not protecting them. ... It's so important that there be a secure Israel that can accept them and give them sanctuary. It's happened before, it'll happen again. Regrettably, Israel didn't exist when the Nazis were in power, because Hitler offered to let the German Jews go if there was a country that would take them. No country would take them."

Mr. Koch also framed his support for Israel in terms of its importance to American security.

"Israel is the only Democratic state [in the Middle East] it's the only one we can rely on," said Mr. Koch. "You look at the Islamic states and what is their goal? The destruction of western civilization."

One of the items that was on display in Mr. Koch's Midtown office up until his death was a framed photo showing him on a visit to Jerusalem being hit with a rock thrown by Palestinian protesters. The picture was accompanied by a letter from former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir thanking Mr. Koch for being the "first eminent American to be standing in the Old City." Mr. Koch said he received nine stitches after being wounded by the rock.

"If it had hit my eye, it would have taken my eye out," he said. "That's why I have such a low opinion of Tom Friedman, because he urged the third Intifada. He told the Arabs to throw stones."

Mr. Koch's views on Israel largely defined his relationship with President Barack Obama. Though he endorsed President Obama in 2008, he later backed Republican Bob Turner in his 2011 congressional campaign in a rebuke of the Obama administration's stance on Israel. Though Mr. Koch and Mr. Obama later reached a rapprochement, the former mayor said he's still worried about how President Obama will handle the situation in the Middle East.

"He has a philosophy which is different than mine and his philosophy is that somehow or other, he is the guy who can bring the Islamic states together with the United States and western civilization," said Mr. Koch. "I think he's dead wrong and, in order to do so, I believe he concluded earlier that that means lessening the ties with Israel. And then, as the result of the response from people like me, he decided he would change on that. How long that change lasts, I don't know. People generally, in deeply held philosophical positions, ultimately revert to them in time."

Though Mr. Koch was more than comfortable in the public eye, he was never comfortable discussing his personal life. After a lifetime as a bachelor, he faced persistent rumors he was gay that added to the anger directed at him during the AIDS crisis. Though Mr. Koch thought the documentary about his life depicted him as a "lonely" man. It also showed scenes of him with the family who surrounded him at his death.

"I wanted the world to see my family and my sister's grandchildren in particular, who I adore," said Mr. Koch pointing to a group of framed photos displayed prominently at the front of his desk in Midtown. "There are seven of them. They're all there."

As a man who led New York City for twelve years and remained relevant for decades after, one would think Mr. Koch might have left the world with some words of wisdom to pass on to his successor Mayor Michael Bloomberg about how to confront the post-mayoral period he will begin next year. However, Mr. Koch told us he had no advice for Mr. Bloomberg about the next chapter in his life.

"We have never talked about it and he doesn't need any advice from me," Mr. Koch said. "With $20 billion, you can buy the services of people who are much smarter than I am to provide the advice on this issue. So I could well understand why he doesnt need any advice from me."

(Photo: Emily Anne Epstein)

At 2 a.m. this morning, former Mayor Ed Koch passed away due to congestive heart failure. He was 88, outspoken, and if you listen to some of New York City's leading political figures, "an irrepressible icon," "larger than life" and "part of the fabric of New York."

“I’m expressing my condolences on behalf of all 8.4 million New Yorkers, and I know so many of them will be keeping Mayor Koch and his family and friends in their thoughts prayers," Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced in a statement. "As we mourn Mayor Koch’s passing, the flags at all City buildings will be flying at half-staff in his memory.”

Mr. Bloomberg further reflected on the meaning of Mr. Koch's passing and the footprint on the city the former mayor leaves behind.

“New York City lost an irrepressible icon, our most charismatic cheerleader and champion," he said. "He was a great mayor, a great man, and a great friend. In elected office and as a private citizen, he was our most tireless, fearless, and guileless civic crusader. Through his tough, determined leadership and responsible fiscal stewardship, Ed helped lift the city out of its darkest days and set it on course for an incredible comeback. We will miss him dearly, but his good works – and his wit and wisdom – will forever be a part of the city he loved so much."

It's not just Mr. Bloomberg who has warm thoughts on Mr. Koch and his contributions to New York City, of course. So throughout the morning, as we receive statements from those hoping to fill Mr. Bloomberg's shoes, this post will continue to be updated.

For her part, the woman Mr. Koch had endorsed to be the next occupant of Gracie Mansion, Council Speaker Christine Quinn, was particularly effusive about Mr. Koch's legacy, saying it "stood taller than the bridge that bears his name":

"All of New York City is in mourning today as we say goodbye to a great mayor, a great man, and a great friend.

Ed Koch dedicated his life to the five boroughs. He loved this city fiercely and it loved him back. He saved us from the brink of bankruptcy, raised our spirits, and restored our city’s reputation in the world. He rebuilt our crumbling infrastructure, adding more than 150,000 units of affordable housing. And after leaving office he continued to make New York a better place, inspiring us through his writing, his activism, and his commitment to change.

But he was more than just the sum total of his accomplishments. Mayor Koch was larger than life. He stood taller than the bridge that bears his name. His sense of humor and tenacious spirit personified this town. Ed Koch was New York.

I can remember seeing him on TV when I was a little girl and thinking to myself, 'If I could ever meet him it would be a dream come true.'

Years later when I was working at the Anti-Violence Project, I was in the midst of a very public battle with City Hall. Mayor Koch called me out of the blue. I had never spoken to him in my life. He told me, “You’re doing the right thing. Don’t back down, and call me if I can do anything.”

Mayor Koch was never one to back down from a fight, and never above reaching out to a stranger to offer his help. Throughout my years in government, some of my proudest and fondest moments have been working and fighting by his side.

He once said, 'I don't want to leave Manhattan, even when I'm gone. This is my home.' Ed Koch will never leave New York City. He will exist forever in our hearts, and in the millions of lives he touched.

On behalf of a grateful city, I want to extend my deepest condolences to his family, his friends, and all those who loved him."

A former official in the Giuliani administration, Joe Lhota passed along some of his personal memories of Mr. Koch:

"Ed Koch’s bold personality was perfectly emblematic of New York City: loud, funny, out-going and in-your-face. When he walked the streets of New York, with his arms stretched above his head, yelling: 'How am I doing'? it wasn’t just a rhetorical question - - he really wanted the people to answer. Why? He wanted to always do a great job serving the City he loved.

For me, I will always remember Mayor Koch holding press conferences without his jacket, in a wrinkled shirt with his sleeves rolled-up, jousting with reporters. He loved every minute of it. He always represented the hard-working people of the City. Personally, I will always be thankful for Koch’s leadership in bringing the City out of the Financial Control Period. He was flawless in getting the City back on its feet."

While Doe Fund Founder George McDonald kept things simple with "Mayor, you did just great!":

"Mayor Koch was the quintessential New Yorker and a man whose life was synonymous with the character, complexity and magic of our great city. Today, we mark his passing with a final answer to his familiar refrain: How’m I doing? Mayor, you did just great! Rest in peace."

Former Comptroller Bill Thompson said Mr. Koch "embodied the spirit of our city":

“Today, our city mourns a great New Yorker. Throughout his life, Ed Koch embodied the spirit of our city. As mayor, Koch navigated New York through treacherous times and seemingly impossible challenges with humor, determination and strength. We‘ve lost an amazing New Yorker, but his indomitable spirit will be carried with each of us whose lives he touched and all those he inspired.”

Manhattan Media's Tom Allon looked at the former mayor's passion for reviewing movies:

"New York has not only lost an iconic mayor who led the city's renaissance after the 1970s fiscal crisis, but a great American who loved his country and who loved Israel and was never shy to express his feelings about those who he thought were a threat to his beloved city, nation or Israel.

"Koch had an exemplary post-Mayoral life where he found meaning and passion in various new roles from attorney to television personality to movie critic. It was in the latter role that I got to know him well: as the editor of his weekly film reviews in the 1990s I witnessed Koch's passion for telling our newspaper readers whether the movies he saw were worth the price of admission.

"When he started, he told me his ground rules: no movie openings, no talk of cinematography, just a straight ahead review of whether the film told a good story and was worth the viewer's time and expense. That summed Koch up: he was honest, blunt and told it like it was.

"New York will miss him and his unique style."

Comptroller John Liu labeled Mr. Koch a "true New Yorker":

"Ed Koch was a true New Yorker, outspoken and feisty to the very end. He lived a great life of 88 years, leaving an indelible imprint on the City, and we will miss him.”

Noting he "often disagreed with Ed," Public Advocate Bill de Blasio touted the Koch administration's accomplishments:

“When Ed Koch said ‘How'm I doing?’ it was both a boast and an act of humility. That simple phrase captured the fact that he was deeply connected to everyday New Yorkers. And that connection fueled his urgency and his greatness. He helped bring us out of the fiscal crisis, he helped bring the South Bronx back, he helped give us hope again—all because it was personal for him. He simply wouldn't let New York City fail. Like many, I often disagreed with Ed. But I also got to know and learn from this great man, with a heart and mind as big as the city he loved. Ed Koch is gone now, but his energy and inspiration can never be forgotten by those of us lucky enough to have known him.”