2-378-223 - Historica Graphica Collection/Heritage Images

Thomas E Dewey with Fiorello H La Guardia, Mayor of New York, late 1930s. Dewey (1902-1971) was appointed Special Prosecutor to lead the fight against crime and corruption in New York. In 1937 he was elected District Attorney of New York County. Dewey's successful prosecution of the mobster 'Lucky' Luciano made him a national celebrity. He later went on to serve as Governor of the state of New York (1943-1954) and was the unsuccessful Republican candidate for the US Presidency in 1944 and 1948. La Guardia (1882-1947) served as Mayor of New York City from 1934 until 1945. He was a strong supporter of President Roosevelt's New Deal and his leadership of New York's recovery from the Great Depression earned him national acclaim.