Roy Cohn, a lawyer and mentor to Donald Trump, taught him to ignore rules and fight back against opponents. Their relationship began in 1973 when Trump was a young real-estate developer. Cohn introduced Trump to Manhattan society and advised him to fight a government discrimination suit.
Trump's company had been accused of barring Black people from renting apartments, but Cohn encouraged Trump to reject a consent decree and assert that the government was pressuring the company to rent to "welfare recipients."
The lawsuit was eventually settled in 1975, but not before Cohn's aggressive tactics delayed the proceedings. Trump has said that Cohn's advice was instrumental in shaping his approach to business and politics.
