Biography
American politician, the
charismatic and controversial mayor of New York City and a candidate for
the Republican nomination in the 2008 presidential race. When the
terrorist attack brought down the World Trade Towers on September 11,
2001, Rudy had his finest hour. His commanding presence, resolute
spirit, and inspiring words defined leadership in crisis. He was
everywhere at once, the epitome of American courage and resilience.
The grandson of Italian immigrants, Giuliani is the only child of an
ex-con dad and a sharp and serious mom, who wanted the best for their
son. His dad drilled into the boy the need to stay on the right side of
the law. After Rudy graduated magna cum laude from NYU Law School, he
worked as U.S. Attorney and served in Washington, DC in Ronald Reagan's
Justice Department. In 1993 he was appointed U.S. Attorney for the
Southern District of New York where he zealously racked up more than
4,000 convictions of drug czars, mobsters, and white collar criminals.
He was elected mayor of New York City in 1993 and again in 1997. During
his terms, he became known for his volatile temper and his penchant for
battling: with his second wife, with street vendors and jaywalkers, even
with his own appointees. Moreover, his untidy personal affairs ranged
from joke material to outrage. But most analysts praise his record of
cleaning up New York City with his zero-tolerance approach to crime, his
workfare program designed to reduce welfare rolls, his fiscal restraint,
and his focus on preparing the city for a terrorist attack in the
aftermath of the 1993 bombing.
In 2000 Mayor Giuliani entered the race for a vacated Senate seat
opposing Hillary Clinton. On April 27th that year, he announced that he
had a treatable form of prostate cancer. He dropped out of the Senate
race a month later, on May 29th, citing his health. Just eighteen days
before dropping out of the race, he announced his separation from his
wife, Donna Hanover (born February 15, 1950) and acknowledged his
“friendship” with Judith Nathan (born December 16, 1954). Perhaps his
decision was colored by the fact that media coverage of his
extra-marital affair had exploded.
As Mayor, Rudy tried to present himself as a Morality Czar, shutting
down strip clubs and acting the role of civic conscience. At the same
time he was entertaining his mistress at home at Gracie Mansion, where
he lived with his wife and two kids, Andrew (age 14 in 2000) and
Caroline (then age 10). In May 2001, his wife asked a judge to bar her
husband's mistress from visiting their home, and reporters tried to sort
out everyone's grievances. Hanover was seen as the wronged wife by some
and the conniving hold-out by others, where Nathan was variously
pictured as the home-wrecking mistress or the faithful lover, caring for
Rudy while he was sick with cancer. Toward the end of his final term as
Mayor, his popularity had waned and he was enmeshed in a domestic drama
that had become quite public.
Then the terrorist attacks struck, propelling him into the spotlight,
and Rudy rose to the challenge. Those who disliked him accused him of
being an expedient media hog. Rescue workers in particular, were
critical of him. Nevertheless, Mayor Giuliani established himself as
America’s Mayor and was named Time magazine’s Person of the Year.
Reopening the debate over his domestic saga, Giuliani married Judith
Nathan on May 24, 2003 at about 7 PM at Gracie Mansion, the city’s
mayoral residence. His successor, current mayor Michael Bloomberg,
performed the 15-minute ceremony.
On February 14, 2007, shortly after 9:00 PM EST, the former mayor of New
York City confirmed his candidacy for the Republican Party nomination
for President. He made his announcement on the broadcast of the Larry
King Live show on CNN.
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