This was followed two years later by a blackout that plunged the city into darkness for 25 hours. All of it was echoed and exaggerated by Hollywood, in films about police corruption ("Serpico"), ...

The vibe: Post-white-flight urban decay. High crime rates. Graffiti-drenched subways. Landlords torching their own buildings for the insurance money. Plus, there was the tiptoe to bankruptcy in 1975 ...