Gottehrer, who helped Lindsay into office with his "City in Crisis" newspaper series, died of pancreatic cancer near his home Friday,The New York Times reported Sunday.

Gotterhrer's famed series of articles began with line "New York is the greatest city in the world -- and everything is wrong with it."

The series eventually caught the attention of Lindsay, who used it in his successful campaign for the mayor's office, the Times said.

Hired as a mayoral assistant by Lindsay, Gottehrer organized neighborhood watch groups called Urban Action Task Forces and helped keep racial tensions at a minimum.

The Times said Gottehrer is survived by his wife Patricia, three children and two grandchildren.