Fiorello Henry La Guardia, December 11, 1882 – September 20, 1947 was Mayor of New York for three terms from 1934 to 1945. He was popularly known as “the Little Flower. A Republican, he was a popular mayor and a strong supporter of the New Deal. La Guardia led New York’s recovery during the Great Depression and became a national figure, serving as President Roosevelt’s director of civilian defense during the run-up to the United States joining the Second World War