The recent news of a terrible car accident that injured Rudy Giuliani, followed by the announcement from President Donald Trump that America's Mayor will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, gives greater pause and thought as to what Rudy Giuliani means to us, and how we think of him.
Rudy Giuliani really came of age as a figure in the New York City of the 1980s.
As the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Giuliani was efficient in rooting out the Mafia and corruption.
After at least 15 years of leftism, New York City and America needed a renaissance.
Mayors John Lindsay and Abraham Beame, serving from 1966-1977 had gutted New York and America under the Great Society of 1964-1981 was also suffering greatly.
Then came Mayor Ed Koch and President Ronald Reagan and things were better for New York and America.
But such progress proved to be fragile.
A decline began again in New York after the election of David Dinkins as Mayor in 1989.
Mayor Dinkins divided New York like no Mayor since Lindsay.
Crime was rampant.
The economy was in shambles.
Homelessness was everywhere.
Dinkins publicly supported a known drug dealer, and even had the city pay for his funeral, when the dealer was killed after pulling a gun on a New York City police officer.
Morale in the New York Police Department was so bad that officers, during their off duty time, were protesting Mayor Dinkins by climbing over city hall barriers, storming its steps and chanting he had to go.
In this atmosphere the tourists were not coming to New York.
Native New Yorkers were leaving.
Of those who did stay not many were happy.
In a 1993 non-binding referendum, 65% of Staten Islander voters said yes to leaving New York City.
That same year, in a city where there are much fewer Republicans percentage wise, Giuliani defeated Dinkins. In office from Jan. 1, 1994 to Dec. 31, 2001, Giuliani's accomplishments were extensive, as cited in his book "Leadership."
Giuliani Backed police over criminals. Overall crime fell by 57%, much faster than the national average, and shootings fell by 75%.
There was a dramatic 93 percent decrease in inmate-on-inmate violence in City jails.
He cleaned up Times Square, bringing many new businesses to it such as Disney, Morgan Stanley, and Conde Nast. Over 200 new businesses were created in Harlem alone.
Unemployment dropped by 4% and the city's welfare rolls dropped to its lowest number of recipients since 1966, the first year of Mayor Lindsay's administration.
There was a near doubling of the number of adoptions in the City of New York.
Social promotion was ended and summer school was expanded.
Many new city parks were created.
Emergency response times went down by over a minute, saving many lives.
As a result of his policies, Giuliani was re-elected by a landslide as mayor in 1997; the first time a sitting Republican was re-elected on the Republican ticket as mayor of the City of New York since Fiorello LaGuardia in 1941.
All this was before Giuliani leading New York, and indeed our nation, in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
He turned New York City around.
He sufficiently built it up to when the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, took place, New York's darkest day also became its finest hour.
We who remember are grateful for him, in sickness and in health. This record of accomplishment was New York run safely and with prosperity.
This was New York run with pride. This was New York in the days of Giuliani.
(The views expressed in the preceding article are those of the author and not any government agency.)
Larry Provost has written for Townhall, Fox News, The Baltic Times and InFocus (Jewish Policy Center) and has appeared on several television outlets, including "FOX News @Night with Shannon Bream." He holds degrees from several colleges and is a veteran of the World Trade Center search and rescue, Afghanistan, and Iraq. He and his wife are adoptive parents. Read more Larry Provost reports — Here.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.