36. Charles Vigliotti

While one should never judge a book by its cover, it’s hard to look past Vigliotti’s appearance. Vigliotti has Gordon Gekko good looks and a De Niro-like swagger which has served him well over the years as he built his company, Long Island Compost, into a formidable environmental organization and amassed several high-profile friends along the way. Vigliotti is the consummate backroom heavy who doesn’t seek the limelight, but his actions speak volumes. And while many people profess their love for the environment, Vigliotti is making a difference at the ground level, literally. Even he probably couldn’t have anticipated how significantly the green movement would have progressed by now, and no one is poised to benefit from it more than he. True to form, however, he wields his influence quietly and carefully, and when he speaks, people listen.