Ex-NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani out of Coma, Talking and Alert After Hospital Scare: Close Pal

Ex-New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani emerged from a coma Monday and was talking and alert as he remained hospitalized in Florida while recovering from pneumonia, Big Apple billionaire pal John Catsimatidis said.

Catsimatidis said he received the uplifting news from a close former aide to the 81-year-old ex-“America’s mayor’’ Monday afternoon.

“He’s talking, he’s alert. To me, that’s great news,’’ the supermarket and media mogul told reporters.

Giuliani’s shocking weekend hospitalization occurred after he was stricken with the respiratory illness, said his business partner, Tom von Essen, who served as the city’s fire commissioner during 9/11.

“Rudy had a tough weekend. He had pneumonia,” von Essen told The Post, calling Monday “an important day’’ in terms of Giuliani’s recovery. (Read more from “Ex-NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani out of Coma, Talking and Alert After Hospital Scare: Close Pal” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr