Fiorello La Guardia, the 99th Mayor of New York, who was of Italian heritage, is pictured here in a combative pose in Neil Estern’s statue in LaGuardia Place, Greenwich Village. La Guardia was served as mayor for nine years during the Depression era, leaving a mark both on the history of the city and the image of the Italian-American New York community. Born in New York from Italian parents, he lived in Trieste as a consular agent, then came back to the US to run for Congress and won on the second try. He represented the 20th District in Manhattan–that included Greenwich Village–, at a time when it was an Italian-American enclave.
Discover his whole story in this episode of “Nuova York: Hidden in Plain Sight”: Stefano Albertini from NYU, also explains about La Guardia’s progressive ideas, his battle against corruption, his friendship with Franklin Delano Roosevelt, his importance in the restyling and reconstruction of the city through new squares and streets, bridges and airports, one of which still bears his name.
This sculpture by Neil Estern was dedicated on October 19, 1994.
Brought to life by Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò, “Nuova York: Hidden in Plain Sight” is on a mission to uncover and showcase the tangible traces of the Italian presence in New York City, which boasts the largest Italian-American population in North America and ranks as the third-largest Italian population outside of Italy itself.
