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do that.” He said, “How about this afternoon?” (laughs) So I said, “Of course, Your Eminence.”

I go up there, and this man is a sight. I mean there are some people who exude saintliness, and he's one of them. I haven't met anybody else, not even my rabbi. I really was quite impressed. And he said to me -- and he's a man who was born in Greece -- “Mr. Katz (he calls me “Katz” as though it was spelled KK-a-t-z” -- I think that's the Greek pronunciation for Koch), I'm so pleased that you came. I feel ashamed that I am an American, and I am an American, and I represent 2 million Greek-Americans and others in North and South America, and I have tried to get an appointment with the President and with Henry K issinger, and they refuse to see me. My heart is heavy.” And then he said, “What is it [and this is a phrase I've used so many times] that your people and my people have done that they must suffer so through the centuries?” A very moving statement. I was really very taken with him.

And at that moment there's a call. The secretary says, “Senator Kennedy is on the phone, Your Eminence.” All I can hear, of course, is the conversation at this end. “Yes, Ted. Yes, I thank you. Yes, I'm going to Greece tonight and I will tell the Prime Minister your thoughts. Yes.” And I had the feeling that I was sitting in Martin Luther King's cell when Jack Kennedy called, as you may remember, during the election at that time with Nixon.