9. Alfonse D’Amato

What a humbling thing it must be for any New Yorker born in the last half-century to bear the name Alfonse. For New Yorkers, there is only one Alfonse and he is, by any definition, one-of-a-kind. Brooklyn-born and Island-raised, this backslapping, nail-spitting politician carved out a name and legend like no other politico before. After working his way up through the ranks of the Nassau GOP, Alfonse pulled off a stunning victory in 1980 to become New York’s junior senator. Known as “Senator Pothole” for bringing home the bacon and handling even the smallest of concerns among his constituents, D’Amato was just as comfortable on the national stage. Since losing his seat to Sen. Charles Schumer, D’Amato has arguably grown in influence, founding the powerful lobbying firm Park Strategies. But the former senator doesn’t just run his privately held firm; he still manages the political theater that is New York State more than you might think.