What is Fiorello H. La Guardia birthday?

Fiorello H. La Guardia was born at 1882-12-11

When was Fiorello H. La Guardia died?

Fiorello H. La Guardia was died at 1947-09-20

Where was Fiorello H. La Guardia died?

Fiorello H. La Guardia was died in The Bronx, New York, United States

Which age was Fiorello H. La Guardia died?

Fiorello H. La Guardia was died at age 64

Where is Fiorello H. La Guardia's birth place?

Fiorello H. La Guardia was born in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York, United States

What is Fiorello H. La Guardia nationalities?

Fiorello H. La Guardia's nationalities is American

What is Fiorello H. La Guardia ideologies?

Fiorello H. La Guardia's ideologies is Republicans

Who is Fiorello H. La Guardia spouses?

Fiorello H. La Guardia's spouses is Marie Fisher LaGuardia, Thea Almerigotti LaGuardia

Who is Fiorello H. La Guardia siblings?

Fiorello H. La Guardia's siblings is Gemma La Guardia Gluck

Who is Fiorello H. La Guardia childrens?

Fiorello H. La Guardia's childrens is Eric Henry LaGuardia, Fioretta Thea LaGuardia, Jean Marie LaGuardia

What was Fiorello H. La Guardia universities?

Fiorello H. La Guardia studied at New York University, New York University, New York University School of Law

What was Fiorello H. La Guardia notable alumnis?

Fiorello H. La Guardia's notable alumnis is New York University

Which company or organization was founded by Fiorello H. La Guardia?

Fiorello H. La Guardia was the founder/co-founder of New York City Opera, Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School

What is Fiorello H. La Guardia's political ideology?

Fiorello H. La Guardia's political ideology is Republican

What is Fiorello H. La Guardia's religion?

Fiorello H. La Guardia's religion is Episcopal Church

How tall is Fiorello H. La Guardia?

Fiorello H. La Guardia's height is 157

Who is Fiorello H. La Guardia's father?

Fiorello H. La Guardia's father is Achille La Guardia

Who is Fiorello H. La Guardia's mother?

Fiorello H. La Guardia's mother is Irene Coen Luzzato

What is Fiorello H. La Guardia's sun sign?

Fiorello H. La Guardia is Sagittarius

How famous is Fiorello H. La Guardia?

Fiorello H. La Guardia is famouse as 99th Mayor of New York City

Fiorello H. La Guardia - 99th Mayor of New York City, Facts and Facts

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Fiorello H. La Guardia's Personal Details

Fiorello Henry La Guardia was an American politician and lawyer best known for being the 99th Mayor of New York City for three terms

Information	Detail
Birthday	December 11, 1882
Died on	September 20, 1947
Nationality	American
Famous	Republicans, New York University, Leaders, Political Leaders, 99th Mayor of New York City
Ideologies	Republicans
Spouses	Marie Fisher LaGuardia, Thea Almerigotti LaGuardia
Siblings	Gemma La Guardia Gluck
Known as	Fiorello Henry La Guardia
Childrens	Eric Henry LaGuardia, Fioretta Thea LaGuardia, Jean Marie LaGuardia
Universities	New York University New York University New York University School of Law
Notable Alumnis	New York University
Founder / Co-Founder	New York City Opera Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School
Birth Place	Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York, United States
Political Ideology	Republican
Religion	Episcopal Church
Height	157
Gender	Male
Father	Achille La Guardia
Mother	Irene Coen Luzzato
Sun Sign	Sagittarius
Born in	Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York, United States
Famous as	99th Mayor of New York City
Died at Age	64

Who is Fiorello H. La Guardia?

Fiorello Henry La Guardia was an American politician and lawyer. He is noted for his service as the Republican Mayor of New York City for three terms. A dynamic and enterprising man, nicknamed as ‘the Little Flower’, he remained as one of the most remarkable mayors in the history of United States. Though he was an influential and authoritative leader, his policies on several reforms were designed considering sentiments of diverse population of his constituency. He supported Democrat President Franklin D. Roosevelt and received grants for New York City. He revived the city by unifying the transit system, directing construction of economic public housing, parks, playgrounds, re-structuring police force and constructing airports among others. He won over the corrupt Democratic machine prevailing at the time of world war and depression. He was instrumental in re-establishing employment on the basis of merit instead of patronization of jobs. His administration appointed skilled groups not associated with the political system. His endeavour in giving New York a modern infrastructure boosting the expectation bar for an improved urban livelihood and corruption free machinery secured his position as one of the toughest and successful mayors in the United States.

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Childhood & Early Life

Fiorello Henry La Guardia was born on December 11, 1882 in New York City’s Greenwich Village to Achille La Guardia and Irene Coen. His father was an Italian and a lapsed Catholic from Cerignola and his mother was an Italian-Jewish woman from Trieste.

He was brought up as an Episcopalian and remained so all his life. During his childhood, his middle name ‘Enrico’ was anglicized to ‘Henry’.

He and his family shifted to Arizona where his father served as a bandmaster in the U.S. Army at Fort Whipple.

He studied in public schools and at the high school in Prescott in Arizona. After his father was discharged as a bandmaster 1898, he stayed in Trieste.

From 1900 to 1903, he worked in the U.S. consulate in Budapest as a clerk and assistant of the U.S. consul general.

From 1903 to 1906, he served in Fiume (at present Rijeka, Croatia) as consular agent.

He completed his graduation from ‘Dwight School’ located at the Upper West Side of New York. He served at the ‘New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty for Children’.

He was a linguist and was fluent in Italian, Yiddish, French, German, Hungarian and Croatian languages. He served as an interpreter from 1907 to 1910 for the ‘U.S. Bureau of Immigration’ stationed at its Ellis Island immigration office.

In 1910, he completed his graduation from ‘New York University School of Law’ and joined the bar.

Career

In January 191,5 he became Deputy Attorney General of New York.

On November 7, 1916, he became the first Italian-American Congress member to be elected to the ‘U.S. House of Representatives’.

His tenure in the office of the ‘U.S. House of Representatives’ was short-lived as on August 15, 1917 he was inducted in the Army Air Service of the U.S during World War I. He was promoted as major in command of one of the units of Ca.44 bombers posted at the Italian-Austrian front.

On December 31, 1919, he gave up his seat in Congress. He was chosen to contest as the Republican nominee for the presidential post of ‘New York City Board of Aldermen’ and served in the post from 1920 to 1921.

In 1922, he won a Congress seat from East Harlem and rendered his service in the House till March 3, 1933. As a progressive reformer he railed against immigration quotas and aided labour legislation including the ‘Norris-La Guardia Act’.

In 1929, he lost to Tammany politician, James J. Walker in a bid to become mayor.

He supported the independence movement of Ireland and anti-czarist Russian Revolution but did not support Vladimir Lenin rather approved of American influence for democracy and national independence and for contending autocracy. He supported internationalism and was outspoken in favour of disarmament and peace conferences and also of ‘Inter-Parliamentary Union’ and ‘League of Nations’.

Fiorello Henry La Guardia was a proponent of several progressive issues including removal of American troops from Nicaragua, permitting more immigration, being vocal for the rights of striking miners, minorities, poor farmers and impoverished families. He contended for progressive income taxes, employment insurance for workers who lost their jobs in Great Depression and increased government supervision on Wall Street.

On November 7, 1933, Fiorello Henry La Guardia became the 99th mayor of New York City and was re-elected twice in 1937 and 1941 thus serving the position for twelve years.

He was a Freemason and a music lover known for his spontaneity organising professional as well as student’s orchestras. He was a member of the music fraternity ‘Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia’. In 1936 he was instrumental in establishing ‘High School of Music & Arts’ (now called the ‘Fiorello H. La Guardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts’).

In 1938, he proposed for an improved City Charter and successfully set up ‘New York City Board of Estimate’.

In 1939 ‘Interborough Rapid Transit Company’ was bought by New York City under his supervision thus enabling full public takeover of the subway system.

As mayor he vehemently took actions to control criminal and unethical activities including arresting gangsters and armed bandits, banning sale and possession of artichoke till its price remained inflated and shutting down burlesque theatres.

During the World War II, in 1941 he was appointed by President Roosevelt as the first director of ‘Office of Civilian Defence’, a national agency to combat German air raids.

On March 29, 1946, he became the director general of ‘the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration’.

Major Works

As mayor he supported Democrat President Franklin D. Roosevelt and agencies of New Deal like PWA, CWA and WPA and in turn received $1.1 billion federal money for New York.

The East River Drive, Triborough Bridge, West Side Highway, LaGuardia Airport and Brooklyn Battery are some of the many developments that took place during his tenure as mayor that transformed the face of New York.

Personal Life & Legacy

On March 8, 1919, he married Thea Almerigotti who was an Istria immigrant. Their daughter Fioretta Thea, born on June 1920, died on May 1921 due to spinal meningitis while his wife Thea Almerigotti died on n November 29, 1921 due to tuberculosis .

He married his former secretary in the congress, Marie Fisher, in 1929. The couple adopted Eric Henry and Jean Marie who was the daughter of Thea Almerigotti’s sister.

On September 20, 1947, he died in his home in Bronx after suffering from pancreatic cancer. He was buried at the ‘Woodlawn Cemetery’ in Bronx.

Trivia

The ‘United States Postal Service’ issued a 14¢ postage stamp in 1972 in his honour.

‘LaGuardia Airport’, New York, the ‘LaGuardia Community College’, New York and the LaGuardia Street, Tel Aviv, Israel, are some of the many places named after him.

He ranked first in the category of nation’s mayors in the 1993 poll for historians and social scientists.

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