Background
Fiorello La Guardia was born in New York City to a Jewish mother, Irene Luzzato Coen, and a father born in Foggia, Italy, who emigrated to the United States in 1880.
Fiorello La Guardia was born in New York City to a Jewish mother, Irene Luzzato Coen, and a father born in Foggia, Italy, who emigrated to the United States in 1880.
Since his father was a musician, serving as bandmaster in the U.S. infantry, La Guardia spent his childhood at army camps, and was educated in Prescott.
Soon after his father’s discharge due to ill health the family went to Budapest, where at the age of nineteen La Guardia obtained employment in the U.S. consulate and was appointed interpreter in Trieste. While serving as consul at Fiume (then a Hungarian seaport), La Guardia set up the first American medical inspection center for immigrants. On his return to the United States he was employed as interpreter at the Ellis Island immigrant reception center, at the same time attending law school at night. In 1912 he opened his own law office, often providing legal advice and appearing in court without fee on behalf of the poor and new immigrants.
La Guardia first won public attention when he became involved in the 1912 New York garment workers’ strike, and as their recognized leader was chosen as one of the arbitrators to settle the strike. In 1915 he was appointed New York State deputy attorney general, becoming involved in a number of major cases in which he was defeated by the local power barons. After a whirlwind campaign he was elected to Congress in 1916 on the Republican ticket, taking leave in 1917 to enlist in the armed forces. He was commissioned in the Army Air Service with the rank of captain, and was posted to Italy to train American flyers in the U.S. Aviation Instruction Center at Foggia, where in addition to his combat duties (for which he received the Italian war cross) he addressed mass meetings of Italians throughout the country in an effort to raise their morale. For these services the Italian government made him a Commendatore (knight commander) of the Crown of Italy.
In 1919 La Guardia — widely known as “Little Flower” due to his first name — was elected president of the New York Board of Aldermen, and in 1922 began his association with William Randolph Hearst, writing a series of articles in the Evening Journal advocating the establishment of a social welfare state. He was returned to Congress once more in 1922 and again in 1924, and was associated with some of the most progressive legislation in Congress.
After failing to be reelected in 1932, La Guardia successfully ran for mayor of New York City, routing Tammany influence from City Hall in his determination to give the city an honest, nonpartisan administration. He brought in experts to head municipal departments, set out to eliminate graft, and rid the city payroll of unneeded employees.
In the late 1930s La Guardia publicly spoke out against Hitler and Mussolini, and by the time the United States entered the war he had organized civilian defense in New York. He was then appointed by Eleanor Roosevelt as director of the Office of Civilian Defense, but was forced to give up the position when it proved too much for him. When the German consulate in New York asked for police protection, La Guardia sent an exclusively Jewish unit to ensure their security. Toward the end of his third term as mayor. La Guardia’s administration came under constant fire and was even criticized by grand juries fora “most unusual and extremely deplorable state of lawlessness” in Brooklyn and for failing to provide adequate police protection for the residents of the borough. After the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, he no longer had the support of the White House, and at the end of 1945 left City Hall. He began a series of radio broadcasts, commenting on local affairs as well as on the national scene. He endeared himself to many by reading the comics on the radio during a newspaper strike.
La Guardia’s last public position was director general of UNRRA (United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration). During his nine-month administration, he spearheaded an international drive to provide food for starving countries. In 1947 he was presented with the One World Award for press and radio.
Member 65th and 66th Congresses (1917-1919), 14th New York Dist.
Quotes from others about the person
La Guardia was eulogized in the United Nations Assembly as “a great friend of the underprivileged, a great promoter of peace, the real representative of the idea of one world and of the idea of the United Nations.”
Married Marie Fisher, February 28, 1929.