Fiorello La Guardia was an ambitious man who wanted great success for himself – but he also wanted to advocate on behalf of the poor and forgotten. Through hard work and perseverance he managed to achieve both. This work examines the life of the man who not only became one of New York's greatest and most renowned mayors, but who brought about some of the most important changes in the history of the city.

This thoroughly revised second edition of Fiorello La Guardia: Ethnicity, Reform, and Urban Development looks at the many events of the popular mayor's life – his early beginnings as a politician, the events surrounding his life and city, his multiple terms as New York City's Mayor, his personal and professional disappointments, and his ultimate place in history. It also examines the broader subject of cities during times of stress, the ability of mayors to enhance urban life, and the origins of federal aid to cities.

Ronald H. Bayor, PhD, Emeritus Professor of History at the Georgia Institute of Technology, is a historian who specializes in urban, ethnic, and immigration history. He is founding editor of the Journal of American Ethnic History and author, editor, and co-editor of numerous books and publications. Professor Bayor has also been the recipient of numerous awards including the Immigration and Ethnic History Society's Distinguished Service Award and the Association for Asian American Studies Lifetime Service Award.

This edition first published 2018

Edition History

1993, Harlan Davidson Inc.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Bayor, Ronald H., 1944–

Title: Fiorello La Guardia : ethnicity, reform, and urban development / Ronald H Bayor, Emeritus Professor of History, Georgia Tech, Atlanta, US.

Description: 2nd edition. | Hoboken, NJ : Wiley, [2017] | “Originally published: Harlan Davidson Inc., 1993.” | Includes bibliographical references and index.|

Subjects: LCSH: La Guardia, Fiorello H. (Fiorello Henry), 1882–1947. | Legislators--United States--Biography. | Mayors--New York (State)--New York--Biography. | United States. Congress. House--Biography. | New York (N.Y.)--Politics and government--1898–1951.

Classification: LCC E748.L23 (ebook) | LCC E748.L23 B38 2017 (print) | DDC 328.73/092 [B] --dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017014339

Cover Design: Wiley

Preface and Acknowledgments

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the United States had many seemingly intractable problems: political corruption; large-scale poverty; labor strife; massive immigration; ethnic and racial conflict; and urban issues involving inadequate housing and infrastructure. Moreover, the nation's wealthiest citizens had enormous economic and political power to the detriment of the average citizen and worker. Into this morass stepped a few individuals intent on forging positive change. Fiorello H. La Guardia emerged as one of the most important of these people.

La Guardia appeared at the right time with the right background. As a multilingual spokesman for the newly arrived Americans, an urban reformer, a scrupulously honest politician, a dynamic congressman and mayor, and a voice for a politics aimed at eliminating corruption and reaching out to the poor, he became a symbol of his times and an illustration that honest, energized, politicians could make a difference in improving society and setting standards for the future. A shrewd politician who understood the ethnic tensions of his city, he knew how to win votes, and then use his power for the common good.

He also served as a bridge between different generations of reformers: from Progressives to New Dealers. La Guardia, therefore, allows us to better understand the essence of reform in America and the movements that still shape our lives.

Reaching his apogee of power as New York's mayor during the Great Depression, and working closely with another force for change, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his New Deal, La Guardia managed to form a close New York-federal cooperation that enhanced the city immeasurably and served as a guideline for further collaboration.

Improvements in infrastructure including highways, bridges, housing, and parks occurred. Employment improved as jobs became available due to federal largesse and city leadership. The development of these and many other facets of New York life enshrined La Guardia as the best mayor New York ever had. Elected to three terms, he oversaw the city during Depression and War and found himself in the middle of other major events of those times. La Guardia was actually involved in so many important issues that his biography is akin to a history of the first half of the twentieth century.

His life is also instructive for our own times. Cities can be run well; politicians can forge honest and useful careers; and people can be helped through government action. La Guardia, an ambitious man who wanted great success for himself, also wanted significant help for the poor and forgotten. He achieved both. Looking back, we see that under dynamic and concerned leadership even dismal events such as Depression and War can lead to improvements in American life.

I would like to thank Andrew Davidson, formerly of Wiley, for his useful critique and encouragement of this book. I doubt that this project would have started without his input. My thanks also to Denisha Sahadevan of Wiley, who read the chapters carefully, for her help. Special thanks to my wife Leslie N. Bayor for her love and support.