New York’s Tumultuous Past Echoes in Today’s City

Jonathan Mahler’s “The Gods of New York” Draws Parallels Between Late 80s and Present Day

Author Jonathan Mahler‘s timely new book, “The Gods of New York,” plunges readers into the dramatic political and social landscape of New York City from 1986 to 1990. The period, culminating in a pivotal mayoral election, eerily mirrors current city dynamics, a parallel Mahler finds both compelling and unsettling.

Echoes of Mayoral Battles

The book revisits the era when Mayor Ed Koch sought a fourth term. By 1989, Mahler notes, Koch was perceived as an “incumbent plagued by scandal, just like Eric Adams now.” The narrative highlights the emergence of figures like Rudy Giuliani, a “tough guy from the outer boroughs,” and David Dinkins, a “candidate of color who was saying: ‘I’m going to take the city back for the people who are getting left out.'” Mahler observes a similar dynamic today with politician Zohran Mamdani.

Mahler, a seasoned reporter, points out that as the city underwent significant transformation in the late 80s, it is experiencing another major shift currently.

A City in Flux: Crises and Transformation

“The Gods of New York” follows Mahler‘s previous work on the city’s 1977 crisis, “Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx is Burning.” This latest offering details a period rife with racial tensions, the crack epidemic, escalating crime, sensational legal cases, and an economic boom that disproportionately benefited the wealthy. Despite focusing on ordinary New Yorkers, the book features extraordinary individuals who shaped the era.

Discussing the book’s title, Mahler explained, “I meant that [Trump, Giuliani and others] were looming over the city like gods, not necessarily benevolent. Remember, the Greek gods were … wrathful, vengeful and petty. That was definitely what I was going for. Less literal, more figurative.”

Mahler suggests pairing “The Gods of New York” with “Paper of Wreckage,” an oral history of Rupert Murdoch’s New York Post, for a comprehensive look at the media’s influence during that time.

The Rise of the Attention Economy

The book explores how figures like filmmaker Spike Lee and civil rights leader Rev Al Sharpton, active during events like the Howard Beach racist attack and the Tawana Brawley hoax, were all vying for public attention. Mahler identifies this as an early manifestation of the “attention economy,” where individuals intuitively understood how to capture and maintain public focus.

Jonathan Mahler’s new book, “The Gods of New York,” explores the tumultuous late 1980s New York City. It draws parallels between the political climate then and today, featuring figures like Donald Trump, Rudy Giuliani, Ed Koch, and David Dinkins. https://t.co/h9t7hUfRzX

— World-Today-News (@WorldTodayNews) May 4, 2024

Activist Larry Kramer‘s impactful protests against the city’s handling of the AIDS crisis are compared to Trump‘s modern tactics of commanding attention. Mahler reflects on how witnessing Trump‘s later political rise informed his understanding of Trump‘s 1980s behavior.

“I don’t know that I would have understood what he was doing in the 80s and what all these guys were doing if I hadn’t seen it play out on the biggest stage in recent years,” Mahler stated.

In 2020, Kramer passed away after a final interview with Mahler. As Trump re-entered public life in 2024, the book’s depiction of his 1980s activities offers a stark reminder of how institutions, including The New York Times, were once captivated by him.

Mahler recounts a memo from an old New York Times editor noting how Donald Trump frequently appeared on section covers. He posits that while this might indicate a failure by the Times to fully grasp Trump‘s character, it also reflected the city’s desperate need for positive reinforcement during a period of decline. Trump‘s perceived belief in and investment in New York earned him considerable goodwill.

The book also details Trump‘s failed ventures in Atlantic City and his controversial call for the death penalty for the Central Park Five, Black youths later exonerated. The city’s unemployment rate in 1987 was around 5.7%, a figure that has since dropped to approximately 4.5% as of April 2024, indicating a different economic climate today (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Justice and its Perversions

Crime narratives are central to Mahler‘s account, including the “Preppy Murder” case involving Jennifer Levin. Prosecutor Linda Fairstein, initially thwarted in her pursuit of justice for Levin‘s accused killer, Robert Chambers, later became instrumental in the controversial prosecution of the Central Park Five.

“She was so demonized after the Central Park Five,” Mahler said. “I think it was interesting to see these two cases sort of as a pair, and the way in which Fairstein was so bitter about how the Chambers case played out … and then not even a couple years later, she’s confronted with the chance to sort of make amends.”

—Jonathan Mahler, Author

Ed Koch: A Flawed Figure

Ed Koch emerges as a central, complex figure. Mahler describes him as a sympathetic character, “someone who was so flawed but also so committed to New York … he really cared about the city.” Mahler views Koch‘s rivalry with Trump through this lens, seeing Koch as protective of the city’s interests against Trump‘s self-serving ambitions.

The book also touches on Koch‘s struggle with his sexuality during the height of the AIDS epidemic, an aspect of his life that became more widely known following a significant New York Times article a few years ago.

Regarding Koch‘s legacy as mayor, Mahler offers a nuanced view: “I think you would have to say yes and no.” He suggests that Koch‘s push toward privatization, intended to save the city, may have set the stage for current reactions.

Legacy and Continuity

The book concludes with the 1989 election, where David Dinkins defeated Koch in the primary and went on to win the mayoralty. Mahler assesses Dinkins as a capable leader who faced immense challenges, much like the city’s first Black police commissioner, Benjamin Ward. Dinkins‘ single term ended with his loss to Giuliani. The city’s continuous transformation, Mahler argues, is what makes “The Gods of New York” a compelling read, capturing a New York that is gone but whose stories endure.