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Former New York mayor Ed Koch, a feisty politician who pulled the city from near-financial ruin, died Friday. He was 88.

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Edward I. Koch talked to a homeless man after handing him a dollar while en route to the subway for a trip to City Hall for his inauguration as mayor, January 1, 1978.The New York Times

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Mayor Edward I. Koch opens a fire hydrant with a cap designed to reduce water usage, at 117th St. and St. Nicholas Ave. in Harlem, July 7, 1980.The New York Times

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In this Oct. 17, 1980, file photo, New York Mayor Ed Koch gestures as he escorts Republican presidential nominee Ronald Reagan into Gracie Mansion in New York.The Associated Press

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Mayor Edward I. Koch of New York on a subway heading to City Hall, June 1, 1981.

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Mayor Edward I. Koch of New York during a news conference on his administration's performance the past year, at City Hall, Dec. 29, 1986.The New York Times

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In this March 8, 1987, file photo, New York Mayor Ed Koch gives a lift to Broadway dancer Ann Reinking during a performance of political satire on at the annual Inner Circle gathering of the New York Press Club in New York.Richard Drew/The Associated Press

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Former Mayor Edward I. Koch marching in the Saint Patrick's Day Parade, March 17, 1992.The New York Times

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A portrait of former Mayor Edward I. Koch, in New York in 2010.The New York Times

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In this March 23, 2010 file photo, former New York Mayor Ed Koch speaks during a publicity event in New York. A spokesman says Ed Koch, outspoken 3-term mayor who became brash symbol of NYC, died Friday morning Feb. 1, 2013 at age 88.The Associated Press

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