26. Jerry Laricchiuta
2010 Power List
Laricchiuta is now a five-time Power List member. He flexed his influence once again this year, winning re-election to another term as head of Nassau County’s largest public service union by a landslide. Among other successful initiatives, he also garnered Gov. Paterson’s support against potentially illegal overtime mandates for nurses at Nassau University Medical Center—in the process, securing his place next year in the Power List Hall of Fame. That he negotiated a new contract last year for his members with no layoffs or pay cuts and fewer-than-demanded concessions from former County Exec Tom Suozzi was no small feat, to say the least. An even bigger accomplishment, however, will be maintaining those successes in the face of anticipated bloodletting by Nassau’s new top man, Mangano, and an increasingly critical Nassau County Interim Finance Authority.