Jonathan Mahler on ‘The Gods of New York: Egotists, Idealists, Opportunists, and the Birth of the Modern City: 1986-1990’

Larry is joined by New York Times journalist and author Jonathan Mahler to discuss his newest book, ‘The Gods of New York: Egotists, Idealists, Opportunists, and the Birth of the Modern City: 1986-1990,’ publishing on August 12. They begin their conversation by detailing why Jonathan decided to write the book and shining a light on the rich history of New York City that precedes the period it covers. Here, they focus on the infamous Howard Beach attack and the police response that led to the rise of Al Sharpton and a new age of public protesting (18:46). After the break, Larry and Jonathan take a look at the Wall Street crash of 1987-88 and break down how the AIDS epidemic affected both the gay and art communities in New York at that time (31:52). They end the pod by talking about Rudy Giuliani’s war against the mob, how the tabloids created Donald Trump, and filmmaker Spike Lee’s love letter to the city, ‘Do the Right Thing’ (38:43). Host: Larry WilmoreGuest: Jonathan MahlerProducers: Chris Sutton and Brandy LaPlante Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Jonathan Mahler on ‘The Gods of New York: Egotists, Idealists, Opportunists, and the Birth of the Modern City: 1986-1990’ is an episode from Larry Wilmore: Black on the Air by The Ringer.

This episode is 54:38 long.

This episode was published on Aug 9, 2025.

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