Criticized former Mayor Rudy Giuliani celebrated his 80th birthday on Friday night with family and close friends from his days in City Hall, in a notable departure from his previous celebration earlier this month.
Friday’s celebration at Amata restaurant on Manhattan’s East Side was far less dramatic than a party held for Rudy in Palm Beach, Florida, on May 17. At the time, Rudy had received legal notice that he had been indicted in Arizona for allegedly participating in a conspiracy to overturn the results of the 2020 election in favor of former President Donald Trump.
“I don’t know how he’s doing it. God bless him,” a close friend at Friday’s event said of Giuliani, pointing to the legal and financial woes embroiled the former New York City mayor.
“I was happy with what I saw. It wasn’t a Palm Beach crowd. It was completely family and old friends,” the source said of last week’s concert.
Giuliani’s son, Andrew, attended his father’s soiree on Friday, along with Rudy’s granddaughter Grace, daughter Caroline and daughter-in-law Gibile Lezgite.
Also present were the former mayor’s lawyers, Barry Cummins and Arthur Aidala.
“It’s an honor to join the mayor in honoring his service,” said Tom von Essen, who served as the city’s fire chief under Mr. Giuliani at the time of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Other attendees included former Deputy Mayor Rudy Washington, former Police Commissioner Bernie Kerik and City Hall Assistant Commissioner Robert Harding.
But other former City Hall staffers who were disgusted by Rudy’s actions and eccentricities in recent years, including his protests against the results of the 2020 presidential election, did not attend.
WABC Radio owner John Catsimatidis recently banned Giuliani from the station for not following station policy.
“Rudy is going through a tough time,” one attendee said.
Giuliani said it was a wonderful event organized by his longtime close friend Anthony Carbonetti.
Rudy’s girlfriend, Maria Ryan, performed a montage of photos looking back at Rudy’s childhood, from his time as a child to his time as Manhattan’s US attorney and mayor.
“Everybody had a great time. My spirits are great with what I’m going through,” Giuliani told The Post on Sunday.
“My granddaughter Grace was the star of the night.”
Andrew Giuliani agreed with his daughter.
“Grace is of the Giuliani bloodline. She gave ‘Grandpa’ a big kiss. She blew out the candles with him,” he said.
He joked that Grace has charm without the boisterous childhood he displayed while standing beside his father during Mayor Rudy’s inauguration speech.
Former President Donald Trump, for whom Giuliani served as legal adviser, was seen smiling as he celebrated Rudy’s birthday in a video recorded with supporters.
Trump’s remarks came the day after he was found guilty of felony assault in a Manhattan courtroom in a hush-money trial.
Giuliani’s troubles include filing for bankruptcy while appealing a defamation lawsuit in which he was ordered to pay $148 million to two Atlanta election workers for making false accusations about voter fraud in the 2020 election.
He also faces charges of election fraud in Georgia under the same organized crime statutes he used as a federal prosecutor to take down mob bosses.
He has denied any wrongdoing in both cases.
“I’m fighting back,” Giuliani said.
He said his friend Trump is also fighting back.
“This case has destroyed 800 years of common law,” Giuliani argued of Trump’s hush money lawsuit.
