Lipper Goes Rogue at Port Authority

Growing up in the South Bronx, Ken Lipper sat at his grandmother’s knee, tallying the hems and collars she sewed. The 7-year-old boy wanted to ensure the immigrant from Russia, who spoke no English, was properly paid.

Now Lipper says he’s protecting the public purse. At 72, he’s prosecuting an idea from his tenure three decades ago as a deputy mayor under Ed Koch to help steer the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey away from real-estate ventures such as the World Trade Center and back to its core mission of maintaining bridges, tunnels and the region’s primary airports.