La Guardia, Fiorello H. (Fiorello Henry), 1882-1947

Fiorello H. La Guardia served as a three term Mayor of New York City, 1934-1945. Born in New York City in 1882 to immigrants, he was raised in the Dakota and Arizona territories. La Guardia worked as a translator at Ellis Island from 1907 to 1910 while stuyding the law. After passing the bar, he represented immigrants, workers, and the poor. He became active in liberal Republican politics, and ran for Congress in 1914. He lost the election, but won the seat in 1916, making him the first Italian-American elected to Congress. He served seven terms, and established himself as a progressive leader. La Guardia was swept out of office during Franklin D. Roosevelt's presidential victory of 1932. La Guardia ran for mayor in 1933 on a broad based Republican-Fusion ticket. As mayor of New York, La Guardia constructed airports, roads, bridges, tunnels, highways, public housing, playgrounds, and schools. He improved health and sanitary conditions, launched attacks against organized crime, and provided relief to New Yorkers affected by the Depression. During WWII, La Guardia served as Roosevelt's director ot the Office of Civilian Defense. La Guardia declined to run for a fourth mayoral term in 1945. After his mayoralty, he served as Director of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilition Administration. He died of cancer in 1947.

From the description of Fiorello H. La Guardia Papers. 1880-1980. (Laguardia Community College Library Media Resources Center). WorldCat record id: 34707198

...