** The Depression and the New Deal -- biographies Fiorello H. LaGuardia








New Dealers: Fiorello H. LaGuardia (1882-1947)


Figure 1.--Here a blind Italian boy meets Mayor LaGuardia at city hall. We do not know the details, but we are guessing that GIs brought him home from Italy after the War. La Guardia had a special attachment to Italy. LaGuardia albeit a Republican was the model New Dealer. He focused on socail welfare and ignored New York's economy. The City could not afford the social welfare system he constuctd and would eventually go bankrupt.

Fiorello H. LaGuardia was born in Greenwich Village (New York City) (1882). His father was lapsed Italian Catholic and his mother was Italian-Jewish mother. He was elected to Congress (1916). He became the 99th mayor of New York and one of the most important American mayors if not the single most important. He served three terms durung the Depression and War years. He has been described as irascible, energetic, and charismatic, among other characterizations. He craved publicity and had a flair for public relations, once reading the comics to the kids over the radio during a newspaper strike. He was phsically unimposing, both short (only 5 feet tall) and over weight. His firt name led to his knickname, New York's 'Little Flower'. He was a Republican who could appeal to Democratic votersas was enormouly popular during the 1930s. He was a rare Republican New Dealer. He supported President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal. The President repaid the favor, funding the city's social welfare program and denying patronage from LaGuardia's foes, largely meaning fellow Democrats. La Guardia undertook remake New York City as the resident's New Deal was attempting to remake the United Ztates. Laguardia took on the corrupt Tameny Hall establishment andlargely restored public faith in City Hall. He has a long list of accomplishments. He unified the transit system, began building low-cost public housing, public playgrounds, and parks, constructed airports, reorganized the police force, and reestablished merit in the city's civil service rather than patronage. New York became a model New Deal city with a heavy emphasis on welfare and public works. He championed causes relted to immigrants and ethnic minorities. His image was that of a tough-minded reform mayor who clean out Tammeby Hall, broght in experts to addess problems, and made a sense of social responsibility a part of the City ethos. LaGuardia's sucess was in part due to his relationship with President Roosevelt who provided substantial Federal Funds to finance City's substantial welfare system. What LaGuardia like many New Dealers failed to grasp was the need to promote business and commrce to enhance the City's tax base needed to pay for the wlfre program. Business was seen as more of a resoyrc to be mined than a vital part of the City to to be promotd and nourished. With the end of the New Deal and the War, the flow of Federal funds slowed. And the City on its own did not have the financial base to support the City's large social welfare program. The City did not benefit from War projects as much as other cities. LaGuardia decided against a fourth term as his popularity declined. And the City would eventually go bankrupt unfder the burnden of the social welfare system LaGuardia had built. Even by 1944 LaGuardia was having to juggle the books to pay the city's bills. New York would eventually go bankrupt (1975).

Parents

His father, Achille La Guardia, was an Italian immigrant from Cerignola, Italy and a lapsed Catholic. His mother, Irene Luzzatto Coen, was of Italian-Jewish ancestry. She emigrated from Triste, at the time part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. She came from a prestigious family. Her mother was Fiorina (Luzzatto) Coen was a Luzzatto This was a respected Italian-Jewish family of scholars, kabbalists, and poets> Among her relations was the noted rabbi Samuel David Luzzatto. La Guardia's mother and fsther met and married in Trieste before emigrating to America. America has been described as an ethnic melting pot, probably more correctly a chopped salad. Catholic-Jewish marriages, however, were not very common at the time. Note thast his father was not a practicing Catholic, but an accomplished musician. La Guardia had a sister, Gemma.

Childhood

Fiorello H. LaGuardia was born in Greenwich Village (New York City) (1882). Fiorello was raised an Episcopalian, a choice probanly relecting prevailing sentiment stoward Jews and even Catholics. He remained an Episcopalian as an adult. His middle name was 'Enrico' was anglicized to Henry as he was known as a child. The family moved to Arizona. His father was the bandmaster at U.S. Army Fort Whipple. He became ill during the Soanish American War and was dicharged from the Army. The family moved to their maternal home at Trieste, at the time part of the Austro Hungariam Empire. Here Henry and Gemma were seoarated. Henry returned to America. Gemma remained in Europe and married a Hungarian. After World War I and Italian seizure of Trieste, the family moved to Budpest. There would be serious consequences to this.

Education

La Guardia attended public schools and high school in Prescott, Arizona. After his father was discharged from his bandmaster position (1898). the fmily returned to New York. He graduated from the prestigious Dwight School, a private school on the Upper West Side of New York City. The Dwight School today still exists, but gas a program largely aimed at creating social justice warriors with no undedrstanding of why disparities exist in America and how they can be addressed. La Guardia joined the State Department, we think based on his language abilities. He was fluent in Italian, Yiddish, and Croatian. He worked at U.S. consulates in Budapest, Trieste, and Fiume. He returned to the United States to continue his education at New York University--NYU (1906). While studying at NYU he worked as an interpreter for the U.S. Bureau of Immigration at the Ellis Island immigration station (1907-10). He learned a great deal about the European immigarnts entering America and identified with them. He graduated from te NYU School of Law (1910). He was admitted to the bar and launched a law practice in New York City.

World War I

La Guardia did not pratice law very long. His real interest was politics. This was, however, a problem for RepubkicansIn in heavily Democratic New York City. There were several Congressioinal didtructs in New York Ciuty, more than today. La Guardia ran for Congress. He chose New York's 14th district, which stretched across Manhattan between 3rd and 14th Streets, encompassing Greenwich Village. La Guardia had some appeal as a candidate. Few politicans begin their career by running for Comgress. He was was defeated by Democrat Michael F. Farley (1914). He became Deputy Attorney General of New York (1915). He ran against Farley again (1916). This time he won. La Guardia went to Washing ton and took office (March 4, 1917). A month later the United States declered war on Germany (April 6). LaGuardia enlisted and was commissioned into the new United States Army Air Service. He rose to the rank of major and commanded of a unit of Caproni Ca.44 bombers on the Italian-Austrian front. He was re-elected to Congress (1918).

Political Career

He was elected to Congress (1916 and 18). His real interest, however was to become the mayor of New York City. It is much easier to win a Congressiional seat tha a city-wide election. He began his quest with the New York City Board of Aldermen an steping stone for the mah=yoral office. The President of the Board, Al Smith, resigned after he was elected New York govenor (1919). LaGuardia won the Republican nomination and narrowly defeated the Tammany Hall candidate. He failed in his first mayoral effort (1921). He seens ti have concvluded tht he could not win a city-wide election LaGuardia ran for Congress again, choosing the East Harlem district, a heavily Italain area. He served in Congress for a decade (1922-33), making a name for himself as a reformer. He made another run for mayor (1929). He was defeated by the popular encumbent, Jimmy Walker. Then Walker and Tammany Hall were implicated in a scandal. Without the scabdal a Republican victiory was unlikely. With it, LaGuardia managed to win the election (1933). Italains were the rock bed of his support. He became the 99th mayor of New York and one of the most important American mayors if not the single most important. He served three terms durung the Depression and War years. He has been described as irascible, energetic, and charismatic, among other characterizations. He craved publicity and had a flair for public relations, once reading the comics to the kids over the radio during a newspaper strike. He was a Republican who could appeal to Democratic votersas was enormouly popular during the 1930s. He was a rare Republican New Dealer. He supported President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the New Deal. The President repaid the favor, funding the city's social welfare program and denying patronage from LaGuardia's foes, largely meaning fellow Democrats.

Stature

He was phsically unimposing, both short (only 5 feet tall) and over weight. His firt name led to his knickname, New York's 'Little Flower'.

Family

La Guardia had two families. His first wife was Thea Almerigotti, an Italian (Istrian) immigrant. Istria was an area near Trueste, now part of Croatia. They married (1919). They had a daughter, Fioretta Thea La Guardia (1920). Theit daughter died of spinal meningitis (1921). His wife died soon after of tuberculosis. She was only 26 years old. La Guardia re-married to Marie Fisher (1895–1984) who had been his secretary in Congress while in Washington. They adopted two children. Eric Henry (1930- ). They were brought up in New York City. Eric graduated from Hobart College in upstste New York and becme a professor at the University of Washington. Jean Marie (1928–62) was La Guardia's niece from his first marriage, the daughter of Thea's sister. She graduated from Barnard College and became an editor of Mademoisell.

New York

LaGuardiahas been described as a domineering mayor. Some charged that he verged on authoritarianism. His reformist politics were perfectly suited to address the sentiments of his multi-ethnoc and diverse religious constituency. He managed to defeat a corrupt Democratic machine, presided over New York during both the Great Deporessiin and Workd War II. La Guardia undertook remake New York City as the President's New Deal was attempting to remake the United States. LaGuardia took on the corrupt Tameny Hall establishment andlargely restored public faith in City Hall. He governed with an ethnic alliance, the solid support of ethnic Italians combuned with Jews, and liberal whites, and Germans Germans. :aGuardia compiled a long list of accomplishments. He unified the transit system, began building low-cost public housing, public playgrounds, and parks, constructed airports, reorganized the police force, and reestablished merit in the city's civil service rather than patronage. New York became a model New Deal city with a heavy emphasis on welfare and public works. He championed causes relted to immigrants and ethnic minorities. His image was that of a tough-minded reform mayor who clean out Tammeby Hall, broght in experts to addess problems, and made a sense of social responsibility a part of the City ethos. LaGuardia's sucess was in part due to his relationship with President Roosevelt who provided substantial Federal Funds to finance City's substantial welfare system.

World War II

La Guardia was a strong supporter President Roosevelt in his fightv against Isolationism. This was a conviction he held early on. It was one reasoin he vilnteered for military service during World War I. Like Presidebnt Wilson, he thought America shiuld use its power to promote emocracy and national self determination autocracy. He supported the anti-czarist Russian Revolution of 1917, but did Vladimir Lenin and the Bolshevik Revolution. Some of this had resomance in New York's ethnic politics. He supported the Irish independence movement ahainst the British. This internationlism contrasted with many of his progressive colleagues, such as George Norris who were suspicious of foreign entanglements after World War I. La Guardia spoke in favor of President Wison's League of Nation. He also supported the Inter-Parliamentary Union as well as peace and disarmament conferences. He was an early an vocal critic of Adolf Hitler who seized power in Germany (1933). And as Hitler moved toward war, the Predident faced a difficult effort to resist aggression because of the powerful Isolationist Movement. LaGuardia was a helpful ally and Rooselvet admired him. After meeting Churchill, he called him "an English Mayor La Guardia". As part of American defense preparations, the President appointed La Guardia to be the director of the new Office of Civilian Defense (OCD) (1941). Mrs. Roosevelt was to assist him, but that did not go well. The OCD prepared America for blackouts, air raid wardens, sirens, and shelters, largely because of what the Germans had done in Britain during the Blitz. Germany did not have the ability to bomb America at the time, but the time to prepare was before it had that capability. We know now that German did not develop thst caopsbility, but there was no way of knowing that in 1941. (America did not have the capbility of bombing Japan in 1941, but developed it durung the War.) Gill Robb Wilson persuaded LaGuardia to create the Civil Air Patrol with (December 1, 1941). La Guardia remained Mayor of New York while working with OCD. He shuttled back and forth between New York and Washington. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor (December 1941), the OCD was turned over to a full-time director, James M. Landis. La Guardia's popularity gradually declined during the War. New York was not an industrial city and did did not benefit from Federal defense spending like other cities. War time tax hikes adversely affected the city. And his ethnic cooalition was damaged by the War. The City was increasingly short of funds to pay for La Guardia's welfare programs. [Kessner] He did so poorly in straw polls that he decided not to run for for a fourth term (1945). After he War, President Truman appointed LaGuardia to head the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (April 1 to December 31, 1946).

The Holocaust

La Guardia was an early and very vocal criutic of Hitler and the NAZIs. He was apalled by NAZI oppression of the Jews. He wanted a pavilion on NAZI atricties at the 1939 New York World's Fair. His sister, the writer Gemma La Guardia Gluck and her husband, Herman Gluck had made a compfortable life in Hungary. They were caught up in the Holocaust after Hitler launched World War II. Hitler was outraged thyat Hungary was not fully cioperating in the Holocausr, deliverring the substantial Jewish population for deportation to the Death Camps. Finalu when Hungary began ried to get out of the War, Hitker irdered a German invasion (1944). Once in cointrol, actionm against Hungarian Jews were resumed. The Gestapo ressted the fGluck familuy (June 7, 1944). The NAZis had detailed information on Hungarian Jews and knew that Gemma was the sduster of an important Amerrican politician. It was decided to hold her a potential valuable prisoner. She and Herman were deported to Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria, but seoarated thgere. She did not learn until after the War that her husband perioshed at Mauthausen. Gemma was transferred from Mauthausen to the women's concentration camp at Ravensbrück, near Berlin. Gemma wasa not aware that her daughter Yolanda (whose husband also died) and baby grandson were being held in different barracks. Gemma and the children managed to survive, primarily becaue the NAZIs were hoping for a possible hostage exchange. The Camp was 'liberated' by the Soviets as they closed in on Berlin (April 1945). GEmma in her pst-War accounts describes how the Soviets were 'violating girls and women of all ages'. Mother, daughter, and grandson strruggled as displaced persons in post-War Berlin. They did not speak German and had no identity papers, money, or any way of documenting who they were and where they had been. The Americans arrived in Berlin (July 1945). Gemma was finally able to get word to the Americans, who contacted La Guuardia. LaGuardia had been trying to locate his sister and family since the NAZIs seized Hungary. He attempted to get them on the immigration lists, but this was not easy. It took 2 years for her to get the clearance and reach the United States. They returned to New York (May 1947) She was finally reunited with her brother. But he was not in good health and died only 4 months later (September 1947). He he had made no provision for her. She lived in limited circumstances in a public housing project in Queens. She died (1962). She was one of the few American women interned by the NAZIs. Another was Virginia d'Albert-Lake.

Flaw

What LaGuardia like many New Dealers failed to grasp was the need to promote business and commrce to enhance the City's tax base. If New York was going to have an extensive welfare program, some one had to mpay the bills. LaGuardian and manyn New Dealers saw business as more of a resource to be mined than a vital part of the City to to be promotd and nourished. With the end of the New Deal and the War, the flow of Federal funds slowed. And the City on its own did not have the financial base to support the La Guardia's extensive social welfare program. The City did not benefit from War projects as much as other cities. because it was not heavily industrialized. LaGuardia decided against a fourth term as his popularity declined. And the City would eventually go bankrupt under the burnden of the social welfare system he had built. Even by 1944 LaGuardia was having to jiggle the books to pay the city's bills. New York City eventually went bankrupt (1975).

Sources

Kessner, Thomas (1993). "Fiorello H. LaGuardia,". History Teacher Vol. 26, No. 2:(1993), pp. 151–59.







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Created: 3:35 AM 5/16/2014
Last updated: 6:03 PM 3/16/2021