La Guardia, mayor of New York City, in his official car in 1936. Fiorello Henry LaGuardia (December 11, 1882 - September 20, 1947) was the 99th Mayor of New York from 1934-45 as a Republican. Irascible, energetic, and charismatic, he craved publicity and is acclaimed as one of the three or four greatest mayors in American history. Only five feet tall, he was called "the Little Flower". As a New Dealer, he supported President Roosevelt, a Democrat, and in turn Roosevelt heavily funded the city and cut off patronage from LaGuardia's foes. He revitalized New York City and restored public faith in City Hall. He unified the transit system, directed the building of low-cost public housing, public playgrounds, and parks, constructed airports, reorganized the police force, defeated the powerful Tammany Hall political machine, and reestablished merit employment in place of patronage jobs. He died of pancreatic cancer in 1947 at the age of 64.