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at two o'clock in the morning in the Village, you can walk along 6th Avenue or West 4th Street, a whole host of places, and there are lots of people there - and therefore the street assault does not take place.

I don't think I told you about the incident where I had someone arrested for soliciting me for a quarter. Did I tell you that story?

No.

Well, I think it was 1971 or '2 but I think '1. In August of that year about 6 o'clock in the evening on a Thursday night I was going through Washington Square Park to go over to 6th Avenue and get a train up to the Americana Hotel where I was going to be a guest on the dais of the American Jewish Committee or Congress. And as I walked through Washington Square Park - and it's very light -- a big black guy (maybe six three or so, and as I tell people, everytime I tell the story he gets bigger and bigger) stops me and he says, “Give me a quarter, man.” And I say, “No.” And he picks up his fists and threatens me. And he says, “Give me a quarter or I'm going to beat the shit out of you.” And I say to myself, “This is intolerable,” and I did something irrational. I said to him, “No, I'm Congressman Koch and I'm going to have you arrested.” And he's really shocked. He puts his fists down, so to speak,