Changes

La Guardia's massive public works programs were administered by his friend and ally Parks Commissioner [[Robert Moses]], an important conservative. They employed tens of thousands of men and created highways, bridges, parks, swimming pools, and, indeed, much of the modern infrastructure of the city.  The mayor built a major airport in Queens, now called La Guardia Airport.  Responding to popular disdain for the sometimes corrupt City Council, La Guardia successfully proposed a reformed 1938 City Charter which created a powerful new [[New York City Board of Estimate]], similar to a corporate board of directors.

La Guardia's massive public works programs were administered by his friend and ally Parks Commissioner [[Robert Moses]], an important conservative. They employed tens of thousands of men and created highways, bridges, parks, swimming pools, and, indeed, much of the modern infrastructure of the city.  The mayor built a major airport in Queens, now called La Guardia Airport.  Responding to popular disdain for the sometimes corrupt City Council, La Guardia successfully proposed a reformed 1938 City Charter which created a powerful new [[New York City Board of Estimate]], similar to a corporate board of directors.

He fiercely denounced [[Adolf Hitler]] and the [[Nazism|Nazi]] regime.  As early as 1934, La Guardia warned, "Part of Hitler’s program is the complete annihilation of the Jews in Germany."  In 1937, speaking before the Women’s Division of the [[American Jewish Congress]], La Guardia called for the creation of a special pavilion at the upcoming 1939 New York World's Fair: "a chamber of horrors" for "that brown-shirted fanatic." <ref>David M. Esposito, and Jackie R. Esposito, "La Guardia and the Nazis, 1933-1938." ''American Jewish History'' 1988 78(1): 38-53. ISSN: 0164-0178; quote from H. Paul Jeffers, ''The Napoleon of New York'' (2002) p. 233.</ref>  

He fiercely denounced [[Adolf Hitler]] and the [[Nazism|Nazi]] regime.  As early as 1934, La Guardia warned, "Part of Hitler’s program is the complete annihilation of the Jews in Germany."  In 1937, speaking before the Women's Division of the [[American Jewish Congress]], La Guardia called for the creation of a special pavilion at the upcoming 1939 New York World's Fair: "a chamber of horrors" for "that brown-shirted fanatic." <ref>David M. Esposito, and Jackie R. Esposito, "La Guardia and the Nazis, 1933-1938." ''American Jewish History'' 1988 78(1): 38-53. ISSN: 0164-0178; quote from H. Paul Jeffers, ''The Napoleon of New York'' (2002) p. 233.</ref>  

1939 was a busy year, as he opened the New York World's Fair at Flushing Meadow, Queens, opened New York Municipal Airport #2 in Queens (later renamed Fiorello H. La Guardia Field), and had the city buy out the Interborough Rapid Transit Company, thus completing the public takeover of the subway system.  When the newspapers went on strike he read the funny papers on the radio.   

1939 was a busy year, as he opened the New York World's Fair at Flushing Meadow, Queens, opened New York Municipal Airport #2 in Queens (later renamed Fiorello H. La Guardia Field), and had the city buy out the Interborough Rapid Transit Company, thus completing the public takeover of the subway system.  When the newspapers went on strike he read the funny papers on the radio.   

==Recognition and Legacy==

==Recognition and Legacy==

Historians have recognized La Guardia as the greatest mayor in American history, and perhaps the greatest in New York City,  but some experts match him with [[Rudy Giuliani]]).<ref>He was first in Melvin G. Holli, ''The American Mayor'' (1993); Sam Roberts, "The Giuliani Years: History; La Guardia's Legacy Is Formidable, but it May Be Surpassed," ''New York Times'' [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C01E2D81730F932A05751C1A9679C8B63 ''New York Times'' April 18, 2008]</ref>

Historians have recognized La Guardia as the greatest mayor in American history, and perhaps the greatest in New York City,  but some experts match him with [[Rudy Giuliani]].<ref>He was first in Melvin G. Holli, ''The American Mayor'' (1993); Sam Roberts, "The Giuliani Years: History; La Guardia's Legacy Is Formidable, but it May Be Surpassed," ''New York Times'' [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C01E2D81730F932A05751C1A9679C8B63 ''New York Times'' April 18, 2008]</ref>

In addition to [[La Guardia Community College]] and  La Guardia High School, a number of other institutions in New York and streets around the world are named for him,  [[La Guardia Airport]], the smaller and older of New York's two currently operating international airports, honors his name.

In addition to [[La Guardia Community College]] and  La Guardia High School, a number of other institutions in New York and streets around the world are named for him,  [[La Guardia Airport]], the smaller and older of New York's two currently operating international airports, honors his name.