New York City owes a great debt of gratitude to Richard Ravitch for his decades of honorable and effective public service. By helping to rescue New York City from fiscal collapse in the 1970s, and leading the turnaround of a subway and bus system nearing collapse in the 1980s, Ravitch played a central role in laying the groundwork for the city’s revival. As a businessman whose management competence and expertise proved that a political outsider could be a successful public leader, he may have also helped pave the way for my 2001 run for mayor. I always appreciated his straight-shooting style and his deep devotion to the city he loved, and he was a force for stability in Albany during his time as Lieutenant Governor. His life is a testament to the potential that private sector leaders have to make major contributions to their communities without ever running for office.