All Of It: "Patience and Fortitude: A History of Mayor La Guardia on WNYC"
Host: Alison Stewart (A)
Guest: Terry Galway (B), author, historian
Featured: Archival audio of Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia (C)
Date: September 20, 2024
Episode Overview
This special episode of All Of It commemorates WNYC's 100th anniversary by exploring the life and legacy of Fiorello LaGuardia, New York City's iconic mayor during the Great Depression and WWII. Through interviews with historian Terry Galway and rare archival broadcasts, the episode traces LaGuardia's journey from immigrant roots to political reformer, highlighting why his era and ethos still resonate today.
Early Life and Formative Influences
[03:19]
- Immigrant Roots: LaGuardia was born in Manhattan in 1882 to recent Italian immigrants, his first name meaning "Little Flower" in Italian.
- Formative Years in the West: Moved from New York as a child, spent youth as an “army brat” in Prescott, Arizona, which shaped his worldview.
- Galway: “His formative years were spent in the dusty streets of Prescott, Arizona, which, to be honest, doesn't sound like the Fiorello LaGuardia that we think of as a sort of quintessential New Yorker.” [04:12]
Notable Quote
- LaGuardia recalling witnessing the Brooklyn Bridge opening as a baby:
- “I was there and I was five months old then, and mother took me and sister. And for decades after that, whenever any question would arise in the family as to date, mother always dated everything from the day of the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge.” [03:36]
LaGuardia and Immigration
[05:13]
- Hands-On Experience: Early work as a diplomat and interpreter at Ellis Island made him deeply empathetic to immigrants.
- Galway: “He is literally telling the stories of immigrants on Ellis island to the officials there...made him as much of a pro immigrant member of Congress as there was in the 1920s.” [05:29]
Notable Quote
- LaGuardia’s belief in New York’s diversity:
- “For here people live, all their ancestors, having come from every country and clime in the world, living in peace.” [05:16]
Early Political Career & Anti-Tammany Stance
[07:39]
- Anti-Machine Politics: Registered as a Republican mainly in opposition to Tammany Hall’s corrupt grip on NYC politics.
- Galway: “He loathed the Tammany machine that ran New York at the time.” [07:39]
- The Republican Party of the time, home to Teddy Roosevelt-style progressives, was a better fit for LaGuardia.
Notable Quotes
- On rejecting political machine influence:
- “The people of the 8th congressional district are the people who are showing the way how to break away from the political machines and select their own representatives.” (LaGuardia) [07:46]
Identity as a "Non-Politician"
[08:49]
- LaGuardia disliked being labeled a “politician,” associating the term with Tammany corruption.
- “Did a politician ever ask you to do something that was right?...They always come with some idea that's wrong. Don't give them a break.” (LaGuardia to police graduates) [08:49]
- “His idea of a politician was a Tammany hack...he presented himself as a citizen legislator...not a politician.” (Galway) [09:20]
Congressional Tenure and Activism
[10:11]
- LaGuardia: First Italian American in Congress (1916).
- Known as a “rabble rouser,” challenged racism in immigration law, denounced Prohibition, and championed working-class concerns.
- Galway: “He was a dissident. He was a man fighting against his times...He raged against the 1924 Immigration Act, against supply-side economics, against Prohibition.” [12:24]
Memorable Moment
- LaGuardia brewed beer in his office during Prohibition to highlight absurdity, inviting police to arrest him (they didn't). [13:36]
Rise to Mayor—A Fortunate Victory
[16:55]
- LaGuardia became mayor in 1933, winning a three-way split race with just 40% of the vote.
- Galway: “Arguably the greatest mayor in New York City barely won election and was lucky when he was sworn in.” [16:55]
Leading NYC through the Depression
[18:20]
- Faced with massive debt and deteriorating conditions.
- LaGuardia insisted on running the city within its revenue:
- “There will not be $0.01 of indebtedness passed on for relief, except the $70 million that were borrowed before I took office...” [18:20]
- Galway: “LaGuardia is a progressive...but he's got massive deficits to cover, so he's got to cut the budget. He realizes he has to.” [19:06]
Confronting Fascism and World War II
[20:09, 22:33]
- LaGuardia spoke publicly and forcefully against Hitler, far more than most American officials.
- “He calls Hitler the brown shirted fanatic. Well, the German government formally protests LaGuardia's comments...the Roosevelt administration...says the mayor of New York doesn't speak for Washington.” (Galway) [21:21]
- LaGuardia took pride in uplifting New Yorkers, providing morale, defense strategy, and practical wartime advice through his broadcasts.
The “Talk to the People” WNYC Broadcasts
[15:30, 25:41]
- Weekly radio addresses to 2 million New Yorkers, mixing city news, product rationing tips, public morale, and a relatable, informal style.
- Galway: “It was a performance...but for the most part, it was LaGuardia unfiltered.” [26:14]
- LaGuardia’s wife even gave him feedback—he shared her advice on air! [26:26]
- He answered personal letters on the air and called out companies by name if he suspected price gouging or poor consumer treatment. [29:33]
Notable Quotes
- On everyday struggles and humor:
- “Now, don't let your mouth water. It's only potatoes. Oh, we have just a lot of potatoes. And if you want to go on a potato spree, now is the time to do it.” [28:12]
- “Now, A and P, I just don't like the way you handled the tomatoes last week. Let it not happen again.” [29:33]
“Patience and Fortitude”: The Motto and the Library Lions
[31:15]
- “Patience and Fortitude” became the city's unofficial motto, symbolizing perseverance.
- Galway: “He actually named the lions. But it was his code word or his phrase that he offered many times in his last speech as mayor.” [31:25]
- “Those were watchwords...What better two words sum up what it must have been for an average New Yorker who got through the 30s and now is trying to get through the 40s?” [31:30]
Race, Segregation, and Difficult Choices
[33:39]
- 1943 Harlem Uprising: A police shooting led to days of unrest. LaGuardia used radio to plead for calm, directly addressing Harlem residents and going to Harlem in person.
- Galway: “He goes up to Harlem and is out on a car talking to people via loudspeaker...being seen in Harlem did a lot to bring down the temperature that day.” [35:45]
- Limitations: He did not desegregate public housing, supported creation of whites-only housing projects out of urgent need for veteran homes.
- Galway: “Some of the things he did, like going along with MetLife, to our ears in 2024, sounds pretty bad.” [37:33]
Lasting Impact on NYC: Physical & Social Transformation
[38:54]
-
Physical Legacy: Unified subways, built airports (including the one now bearing his name), modernized housing.
- “He took New York out of the 19th century...by creating basically a New Deal city here.” (Galway) [39:51]
- “All of that was willpower. He basically said, I'm gonna get this done whether you like it or not.” [40:22]
-
Robert Moses: The relationship was contentious but productive—Moses delivered vast parks and infrastructures under LaGuardia’s oversight. LaGuardia famously used his control over WNYC to keep Moses in check during power struggles, even cutting off Moses’s attempts to claim credit for NYCHA. [44:03]
Notable Quote
- On public housing:
- “To some it may mean houses. To me it means something else. It's folks. It's the transformation of the people themselves.” (LaGuardia) [46:00]
Memorable Moments and Humor
[46:41]
- Reading the Comics: During newspaper strikes, LaGuardia read the Sunday funnies over WNYC for children, but often slipped in political asides meant for adults.
- Galway: “He loved the comics. He really did. At one point puts the newspaper down and basically says, don't ever interrupt me when I'm reading the comics.” [47:36]
- “Now, he's making some political points. He's talking to the adults while he's talking, talking to the children.” [48:19]
LaGuardia’s Final Broadcast and Enduring Legacy
[49:21]
-
LaGuardia ended his tenure in 1945, concluding with a stirring reading of Theodore Parker’s “The Higher Good,” reinforcing his commitment to democracy, service, and resilience.
- “Give me the power to labor for mankind...and give me patience and fortitude.” [49:21]
-
Why LaGuardia Still Matters:
- Galway: “We're still talking about the same issues...immigration...the way some people talk about immigrants today...his integrity, more than anything else, his integrity, he was in public service to be a public servant.” [50:15]
- “His absolute integrity and intellectual honesty have not been surpassed. All these years later, so he still speaks to us, whether it's on issues or whether it's character.” [51:24]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Opening & LaGuardia’s Early Life: [01:48]–[05:00]
- Immigrant Experiences & Anti-Tammany Politics: [05:13]–[08:39]
- Congressional Career & Prohibition Protest: [10:11]–[14:39]
- Mayoral Election & Early Crisis: [16:55]–[18:14]
- Great Depression & Fiscal Policy: [18:20]–[20:09]
- Anti-Hitler Stance & Wartime Leadership: [20:09]–[22:55]
- ‘Talk to the People’ Broadcasts: [25:41]–[32:02]
- Harlem Uprising & Racial Legacy: [33:39]–[38:33]
- Physical Transformation of NYC (Airport, Housing): [38:54]–[46:41]
- Comics Broadcasts & Political Humor: [46:41]–[49:21]
- Final Years & Legacy Reflections: [49:21]–[51:40]
Notable Quotes
- “Patience and fortitude. Our troubles are just starting, but nothing that we will not be able to overcome.” – LaGuardia, [22:07]
- “Now, we all want to get along, don't we? And you know me, that if you cooperate, I'll stand by you. But if you don't cooperate, I'll come right over this station and tell the whole world.” – LaGuardia, [29:33]
- “Give me the power to labor for mankind...and give me patience and fortitude.” – LaGuardia’s final broadcast, [49:21]
- Galway: “He still speaks to us—whether it’s on issues or whether it’s character.” [51:24]
Tone and Takeaway
The episode is rich with affection for LaGuardia’s plainspoken style, reformist zeal, and deep connection to the everyday struggles of New Yorkers. It celebrates his humor, resilience, flaws, and remarkable ability to communicate directly—traits that made the “Little Flower” a giant in urban leadership and a lasting symbol of public service.
For those who missed it:
This episode is a vivid, detailed journey through one of New York’s most beloved mayors, making clear why, a hundred years after his birth and a century of WNYC's service, the spirit of “patience and fortitude” still matters.