Edward Koch dies at 88; outspoken mayor led New York City comeback

In the late 1970s when Edward I. Koch won his first term as mayor of New York, the city was in shambles, its coffers and confidence sapped by financial crises and a paralyzing blackout. It needed a fighter and found one in Koch, a well-practiced pol with the determination — and bite — of a bulldog.

By Geraldine Baum and Tina Susman, Los Angeles Times

February 2, 2013