Rudy Giuliani always loved opera. He founded his Brooklyn high school's opera club at a time when other kids were digging rock and roll. The choice was deliberately defiant'counterculturally conservative and inspired by his Italian heritage. But it also reflected a sincere love for the sweep and drama of the music's mythological struggles. Giuliani has lived an operatic life, full of highs and lows, and its final act has been a tragedy. But the full score is more interesting and instructive than its ending alone. A quarter of a century ago, Giuliani was a global hero, dubbed 'America's mayor' by Oprah Winfrey for his leadership after the terror attacks of 9/11, when he strode through the rubble of Lower Manhattan like a latter-day Winston Churchill. But in the years before that defining moment, for all of the controversies, Giuliani accomplished something that too many people have already forgotten: He turned around New York City after decades of decline. Giuliani has always been a...
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