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building there are three blacks carrying picket signs, and the signs read: “Koch must go.” The Italians had hired them to picket me. It was funny when you think about it.

The place had about 250 come, which is a big meeting, all very angry with me. I did not know Wally Popolizio really at that time. He was not a friend. Or Harry Rossetti or really know Dina. I certainly was not a friend.

Well, the auditorium fills up, and I had invited to this meeting every commission or who had any kind of jurisdiction, and the city wanted to be helpful to me. Wagner was still the mayor. I had maybe six commissioners on the stage to answer questions. And the questions are going on -- I'm chairing it -- and then one guy gets up who is not Italian -- he's obviously sort of a hippy type. And he says in a very aggressive way, “I want to ask Bill Passannante why he has been so miserable on...” six different issues having nothing to do with MacDougal Street. And Bill and I were not friends. I said to him, “That question is out of order. That will not be asked. This is not a meeting where we're going to engage in personalities and political attack.” He proceeds to continue. I said, “Sit down!” He said, “Who are you?” I said, “I'm the chairman and I'm running this meeting. You will sit down.” And again it was a stroke of genius -- I say to this audience of 250 Italians: “Do I have your confidence?”

You have to understand: they hated this guy, this hippie back there -- and they began to roar and applaud me and yell, “Sit down! Sit down! He's the chairman!” It was wonderful. It was just really wonderful.