Evening star., 1947-09-20
La Guurdiu

La Guurdiu
Continued From First Page)
firing and energetic efforts to pro-
mote public welfare contributed to a
great extent to the failing health
which eliminated in death today"
The diminutive Mr.. La Guardia-
he was 5 feet, 3 inches-was rough
and ready exponent OF the get
tough" school of politics. His caus-
tic tongue was noted for its whiplash
agility in exchanges with political
enemies as we'll as for its fiuency in
foreign languages.
In his campaigns and during his
years in office he addressed national
groups in New York in their native
language-Italian. German, French
Yiddish or Yugoslav.
Left His Own Monuments.
Mr.. La Guardia can share with
Sir Christopher Wren, London's 18th
century architect. the encomium. IF
his monument you seek. look about
you.'
He trimmed Manhattan Island
with its waterfront drives. He built
the great Triboro Bridge. the Bronx
Whitestone Bridge over Long Island
Sound, the Henry Hudson parkway
,,r %leA YY,deny, DiuAr ,anrtb nf Man
haitian. He had the city purchase
the old subways and combine them
with the new clty-operated line built
largely in his administration. The
tunnel from the Battery to Brooklyn
was started In his administration,
and the Queens. Midtown tunnel
under East River was started and
completed in his mayoralty. He
built go schools, 200 Fairgrounds and
huge housing, projects. !. ss
He was q reform mayor who
talked the language of the people
sometimes exceeding 1t in vulearity
He broke the rackets. ended the slot
machines. drove out burlesque. and
was. always reelected. He was
called The Little Flower some
times affectionately, sometimes de-
risively, until that literal transla-
tion of his. first name was replaced
by "Butch"-supplied by the New
York Daily News in an editorial on
nomenclature.
His campaign speeches were a
great show. He would go into PAN
tomime, looking like Cartoonist
Soglow's Little King as he demon
strated how he kicked grafters out
of ONCE by turning sideways and
going through a sort of football
dropkick. He was a great crime
buff. The Mayors cars was often
at the scene before the sirens
stopped screaming.
Was Native Of New York.
Born In New York December II
1882, Mr.. La Guardia was the son Of
an immigrant who had arrived ir
the United States four years earlier
from Foggia, Italy. His mothers
native city was Fiume. He was mar
ried In 1919 to Thea Almerigotti
who died in 1921. Eight years later
while a member of Congress, he
married Marie Fisher, his secretary
They had two adopted children
Jean and Eric.
Soon after finishing high school
Mr.. La Guardia was appointed a
clerk in the American Consulate at
Budapest. This was followed by an
appointment to Trieste and in 1904
he became consular agent at Fiume.
In 1907 he returned to the United
States as an interpreter at the
Ellis Island immigration station.
Obtaining q bachelor Of laws de-
gree from New York University In
1910, Mr.. La Guardia began prac-
ticing law and in 1915 was ap-
pointed deputy attorney general OF
New York State.
He entered Congress in 1917 and
his first important vote there was
for declaration of war against
Germany. Then. supporting his
words with action. Mr.. La Guardia
Joined the Air Corps and soon was
overseas as commander of a bomb
ing squadron on the Italian front
Once his plane, caught in q stiff
wind. fell In fight and he was In
jured. When the Armistice came he
held the rank of major.
Meantime, Mr.. La Guardia re.
manned member Of Congress, re-
fusing demands for his resignation
and cabling back his vote on i'm.
portant legislation. Political op.
ponents, failing In their effort IL
have his seat declared vacant, strov.
in the 1918 election to defeat him
but he was reelected by ma jority
Of 2 to 1.
/ Lost Seat in 1892.
;, In 1919 he became president o.
the New York Board OF Aldermen
and in the fall of 1921 sought tn,
Republican nomination for Mayor
but was unsuccessful. He was re.
turned to Congress in the 1922 elec.
ton and remained there for +,
decade. The Republican La Guards
lost his seat in the Franklin D
Roosevelt landslide of 1882. Sub.
sequently he supported the New
Deal and backed Mr.. Roosevelt IL
his 1896, 1910 and 1914 campaigns
In 1929 Mr.. La Guardia hae
sought the office of mayor on tn,
Republican ticket, but lost to tn
then popular and dapper James J
tJtmmyb Walker and Tammany.
| Mayor Walker resigned In 1882 Ii
the midst of an investigation o
|. his administration. In the 1893;
mayoral election. Mr.. La Guardia
the Republican, Fusion candidate
received plurality Of more thar
$50, 900 in 4 three -cornered race an,
ended an unbroken Tammany rul'
Of 10 years.
In 1887 he was reelected by ,
coalition Of fusion, labor. Republi
can, Socialist and Communist vot
ers. He repudiated the Communis