Rudolph W. Giuliani was born in
1944 to a working class family in Brooklyn, New York. As the grandson of
Italian immigrants, Rudy was taught the value of a strong work ethic and a
deep respect for America's ideal of equal opportunity. He attended Bishop
Loughlin Memorial High School, Manhattan College, and New York University
Law School.
After joining the office of the United States Attorney for the Southern
District of New York, Rudy rose quickly through the ranks, becoming the
Chief of the Narcotics Unit at age 29. In 1975, Rudy was recruited to work
in Washington, D.C., and was appointed Associate Deputy Attorney General
and chief of staff to the Deputy Attorney General. In 1977, Rudy returned
to New York to the private practice of law.
The Crime Fighter
After the inauguration of Ronald Reagan in 1981, Rudy was named Associate
Attorney General, the third highest position in the Department of Justice.
He supervised all of the U.S. Attorney Offices and their federal law
enforcement agencies, including the Bureau of Corrections, the Drug
Enforcement Agency, and the U.S. Marshals.
In 1983, Rudy became United States Attorney for the Southern District of
New York, where he spearheaded successful efforts against organized crime,
white collar criminals, drug dealers and corrupt elected officials. Some
of his best known cases include the groundbreaking mafia prosecutions in
the "Pizza Connection" and "The Commission" cases, Wall Street corruption
cases, and the convictions of corrupt political figures. Few U.S.
Attorneys in history can match his record.
Mayor of New York
In 1993, Rudy became the first Republican elected Mayor of the City of New
York in a generation. Campaigning on the slogan "One City, One Standard,"
he focused on reducing crime, reforming welfare and improving the quality
of life. In 1997, he was re-elected with nearly 60% in a city in which
Democrats outnumber Republicans five to one.
Under Mayor Giuliani's leadership, overall crime was cut by 57%, murder
was cut by nearly 70%, and New York City - once considered the crime
capital of the country - was recognized by the F.B.I. as the safest large
city in America. New York City's law enforcement strategy has become a
model for other cities around the world, particularly the CompStat
program, which won the 1996 Innovations in Government Award from the
Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
When Mayor Giuliani took office, one of every seven New Yorkers was on
welfare. Mayor Giuliani implemented the largest and most successful
welfare-to-work initiative in the country, turning welfare offices into
Job Centers, leading to the reduction of welfare rolls by 640,000, or
nearly 60%, to the lowest level since 1966.
Mayor Giuliani also took decisive steps to restore fiscal responsibility
to New York City, reducing or eliminating 23 city taxes while turning an
inherited $2.3 billion budget deficit into a multi-billion dollar surplus.
These reforms helped lead New York City to an era of broad-based growth,
with approximately 425,000 new private sector jobs created in eight years,
as business returned to the center of city life. As news of the New York
renaissance spread around the nation and the world, tourism grew to record
levels. Under Rudy Giuliani's leadership, New York City became the
best-known example of the resurgence of urban America.
On September 11th, 2001, America suffered the worst attack in its history.
After surviving the fall of the Towers, Mayor Giuliani immediately began
leading the recovery of his city as it faced its darkest hour.
For his efforts, former first lady Nancy Reagan presented Mayor Giuliani
with the Ronald Reagan Presidential Freedom Award, he was knighted by the
Queen of England, and named Person of the Year by Time magazine. In 2002,
he wrote and published a number one best-seller, Leadership, which has
sold over 1 million copies worldwide.
Business Leader
Limited by New York City law to two terms as mayor, Rudy founded Giuliani
Partners in January, 2002, quickly establishing the consulting firm as a
leader in the fields of emergency preparedness, public safety, crisis
management, energy and health care. Rudy subsequently expanded his
business reach into the “boutique investment banking” sector with Giuliani
Capital Advisors. In 2005, Rudy became a name partner in the law firm of
Bracewell & Giuliani. The sixty year old firm, previously known as
Bracewell Patterson, has over 400 attorneys practicing in nine offices
around the world.
In May of 2003, Rudy married Judith S. Nathan. Mrs. Giuliani is a
registered nurse with an extensive medical and scientific background. She
currently serves as Managing Director of Changing Our World, Inc., a
national fundraising and philanthropic services company headquartered in
New York. In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks,
Mrs. Giuliani coordinated the efforts at the Family Assistance Center on
Pier 94. She was also a founding member of the Board of Trustees of the
Twin Towers Fund, which raised and distributed $216 million to over 600
families and individuals.
In 2006, Mrs. Giuliani was awarded New York University College of
Nursing’s “Humanitarian Award” in recognition of using her nursing
identity for humanitarian work and charitable endeavors as well as for
being a powerful voice that enhances the visibility of nursing and
elevates the profession. Also in 2006, Mrs. Giuliani received the “St.
Francis Xavier Cabrini Service Award” from Mother Cabrini High School, an
award honoring her commitment to young women and their education.
