Giuliani, Rudolph William

Giuliani, Rudolph William (jOO"lē-ä'nē) [key], 1944–, American government official, b. Brooklyn, N.Y. He attended Manhattan College and studied law at New York Univ. In the Justice Dept. as associate deputy attorney general (1975–77), associate attorney general (1981–83), and U.S. attorney for New York's Southern District (1983–89), Giuliani was known for his successful high-profile prosecutions of Mafia bigwigs and Wall Street miscreants. A Republican, he narrowly won the New York City mayoralty in 1993, defeating the incumbent, David Dinkins, who had bested him by a slim margin in 1989. Running largely on a successful reduction in city crime, he won reelection in 1997. In 2000 he was the all-but-announced Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, running against Hillary Rodham Clinton, but ill health and the breakup of his marriage led him to withdraw. Following the 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, Giuliani won international regard for his vigor and sensitivity in leading the city as it coped with the disaster. He retired in 2001, and Michael R. Bloomberg succeeded him as mayor. In 2007–8, he was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican presidential nomination. Giuliani reflected on decision-making, management skills, and the 9/11 crisis in his book Leadership (2002).

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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