8. Alfonse D’Amato

You may think the former senator is not in the mix just because he’s not in the spotlight, but D’Amato still wields tremendous influence from his perch atop one of the state’s most profitable lobbying firms. D’Amato works his connections for huge corporate clients like Fox, MBNA, Computer Associates and Madison Square Garden—and 12 while MSG just lost its bid to block the West Side stadium, D’Amato’s ties to MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow are credited with getting Cablevision the chance to bid at all.