IT'S A SIN TO TELL A LIE

While searching for something else, I ran across this 1985 New York Times puff piece on Rudy Giuliani, who was then a federal prosecutor making a name for himself (and clearly doing everything in his power to court that notoriety). At the time he'd never run for public office, but, as the story notes, a second career in politics seemed a distinct possibility. (Four years later he'd run unsuccessfully for mayor; he won four years after that.)

The story's hook was that Giuliani was a particularly successful prosecutor of Mob cases. One friend was brought in to explain why that might be the case:

''A major theme with Rudy's father was his hate for organized crime,'' says the Rev. Alan J. Placa, a Long Island priest and a lawyer as well as a lifelong friend. ''Harold Giuliani felt people were prejudiced against him because he was Italian. But he didn't get angriest at the prejudiced people -- he hated Italians in organized crime for giving all Italians a bad name.''

Now, I knew that Rudy had avoided talking about this aspect of his father's life prior to the unearthing of records documenting Dad's long record of thuggery, but I didn't know he had pals actually going out of their way to tell the press lies about the man, just to build Rudy's myth.

And this is a priest, no less. Though not just any priest: Placa has been accused of both sexual abuse of minors and covering up sexual abuse by other priests. (Placa and Rudy are still pals, by the way.)