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Edward KocheEdward Koche
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Session:         Page of 617

Koch:

I go to most of the parades in my district. They all go into my district. Fifth Avenue is in my district. And I love parades. A lot of people don't like parades. I happen to like them, and I like to march in them, not just to review them. And it happens that at one of the parades -- I am not sure which one -- I was interviewed by Mary Breasted of the New York Times. She said, “What are you doing here?” and I said, “Well, today I'm Italian. Last week I was Irish...” It's not exactly correct, which groups I'm talking about. “And two weeks ago I was Ukrainian. But every day I'm Jewish.” And it was the quote of the day, and it was a very nice quote. The fact of the matter is: I believe that in a sense. I mean this city is so polyglot in its ethnicity. I love it that way. And I relate to these people. As I think I told you, I'm one of the few people who march in the Ukrainian Day parade or the Polish Day parade who's Jewish. I've marched for either two or three years in the Ukrainian Day parade at the head of the parade. I can't say I'm a grand marshal, but I'm at the head of the parade with the grand marshal, and I march in the rain with them. Those poor bastards -- every time they march it rains. (laughs) And I march with them in the rain and they love it. I said to this guy on one occasion: “You know, if we were in the Ukraine, we'd be having a pogrom and I'd be the victim.” (laughs) “But that's what's nice about America -- we don't do that here.” And he laughed and I laughed, and that's the story.





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