Embattled Rudy Giuliani celebrates his 80th birthday surrounded by family, friends at NYC restaurant
Embattled ex-Mayor Rudy Giuliani celebrated his 80th birthday Friday night with family and close friends from his days at City Hall — a marked departure from a previous bash earlier this month.
Friday’s celebration at Amata restaurant on Manhattan’s East Side was far less dramatic than the party held for Rudy on May 17 in Palm Beach, Fla. — when he was served a legal notice of his Arizona indictment for allegedly being involved in a plot to overturn the 2020 election in favor of ex-President Donald Trump.
“I don’t know how he does it — God bless him,” a close pal who attended Friday’s event said of Giuliani, noting the legal and financial woes that have engulfed New York City’s ex-Hizzoner.
“I was happy with what I saw. It wasn’t the Palm Beach crowd. It was strictly family and old friends,” the source said of last week’s gig.
Giuliani’s son, Andrew, was at his dad’s soiree Friday along with Rudy’s granddaughter Grace, daughter Caroline and daughter-in-law Živilė Rezgytė.
The former mayor’s lawyers — Barry Kamins and Arthur Aidala — were also there.
“It was an honor to be with the mayor and celebrate his accomplishments,” said Tom Von Essen, who was the city fire commissioner under Giuliani during the Sept. 11 terrorist attack.
Other attendees included former Deputy Mayor Rudy Washington, ex-Police Commissioner Bernie Kerik and City Hall aide Robert Harding.
But other former City Hall aides — turned off by Rudy’s actions and antics in recent years including disputing the results of the 2020 presidential election — did not attend.
WABC radio owner John Catsimatidis recently bounced Giuliani from the air for failing to heed station policies.
“Rudy is going through a rough time,” an attendee said.
Giuliani said it was a fabulous affair, arranged by longtime confidante Anthony Carbonetti.
Rudy’s business partner, Maria Ryan, presented a montage of his early life — with pictures from when he was child through his years as the Manhattan US attorney and as mayor.
“Everyone had a great time. My spirits for what I’m going through is terrific,” Giuliani told The Post on Sunday.
“My granddaughter Grace was the star of the night.”
Andrew Giuliani agreed of his daughter.
“Grace has the Giuliani blood. She gave ‘Pop Pop’ a big kiss. She blew out the candles with Pop Pop,” he said.
He joked that Grace has the charm without the rambunctiousness he displayed at his father’s side as a child during Rudy’s inaugural address as mayor.
Former President Donald Trump, whom Giuliani had served as a legal adviser, beamed in a video he filmed with supporters to wish Rudy a happy birthday.
Trump’s greeting came a day after he was convicted of felony criminal charges at his hush-money trial in Manhattan court.
As for Guiliani’s troubles, he has filed for bankruptcy while appealing a defamation suit in which he was ordered to pay $148 million to two Atlanta election workers he falsely accused of ballot fraud involving the 2020 election.’
He also has been indicted for alleged election tampering in Georgia — under the same racketeering laws he used to take down Mafia bosses as a federal prosecutor.
He has denied wrongdoing in each of the cases.
“I’m fighting back,” Giuliani said.
He said his pal, Trump, is fighting back, too.
“The trial decimated 800 years of Anglo-American law,” Giuliani claimed of Trump’s hush-money case.
