Fiorello Henry La Guardia ( sometimes LaGuardia ) ( pronounced \/ fiÉ Ë rÉ loÊ lÉ Ë É wÉ ` rdiÉ \/ ; born Fiorello Enrico La Guardia ) was Mayor of New York City for three terms from 1934 to 1945 as a liberal Republican . Fiorello Henry LaGuardia ( fiÉ Ë rÉ loÊ lÉ Ë É wÉ ` rdiÉ ; born Fiorello Enrico La Guardia ; December 11 , 1882 - September 20 , 1947 ; he himself wrote his name as a single word with no space between the first `` a '' and the capitalized `` G '' which follows ) was Mayor of New York for three terms from 1934 to 1945 as a liberal Republican .