Alfonse Marcello "Al" D'Amato (born August 1, 1937) is an American lawyer and former
New YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
politicianA politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. A Republican, he served as United States Senator from New York from 1981 to 1999.
Early life and family
D'Amato, of Italian heritage, was born in
BrooklynBrooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
and raised on
Long IslandLong Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
. He is a graduate of
Chaminade High SchoolChaminade High School is a Roman Catholic college preparatory high school for young men. Located in Mineola, New York, the school was founded in 1930 by the Society of Mary , an international Roman Catholic teaching order of priests and religious Brothers. The school is named for Father William...
,
Syracuse UniversitySyracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
, and
Syracuse University College of LawSyracuse University College of Law , founded in 1895, is a Juris Doctor degree-granting law school of Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. It is one of only four law schools in Upstate New York Syracuse University College of Law (SUCOL), founded in 1895, is a Juris Doctor degree-granting law...
.
D'Amato married his first wife, Penelope, with whom he has four children, in 1960. Al and Penelope D'Amato separated in 1982 after 22 years of marriage. Al and Penelope finally divorced after a 13 year separation, their divorce becoming final in 1995. He has dated several well-known personalities, including entertainment television reporter
Claudia CohenClaudia Lynn Cohen was an American gossip columnist, socialite, and television reporter.-Early life and education:...
. On July 18, 2004, he married Katuria Elizabeth Smith. They have one son, Alfonso Marcello D'Amato, born on February 5, 2008, and a daughter, Luciana Cioffari D'Amato, born on October 16, 2009.
Early political career
His political career started with the
Nassau CountyNassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
Republican Party, and he held the appointive position of Public Administrator of Nassau County, where he was responsible for managing the assets of county residents who died without
willsA will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
. He was first appointed and then elected Receiver of Taxes of
Hempstead, New YorkHempstead is one of the three towns in Nassau County, New York, United States, occupying the southwest part of the county. There are twenty-two incorporated villages completely or partially in the town. Hempstead's combined population was 759,757 at the 2010 Census, the majority of the population...
. He left this office to become a
town supervisorTown Supervisor is an elective legislative position in New York towns. Supervisors sit on the town board, where they preside over town board meetings and vote on all matters with no more legal weight than that of any other board member .Towns may adopt local laws that allow them to provide for an...
in Hempstead and in 1977 he was elected presiding supervisor. He was also vice chairman of the Nassau County Board of Supervisors from 1977 to 1980.
Despite being a rather obscure candidate, he defeated incumbent Sen. Jacob Javits by 56% to 44% in the 1980 Republican
primary electionA primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
, after Javits' 1979 diagnosis of generally fatal
amyotrophic lateral sclerosisThe motor neurone diseases are a group of neurological disorders that selectively affect motor neurones, the cells that control voluntary muscle activity including speaking, walking, breathing, swallowing and general movement of the body. They are generally progressive in nature, and can cause...
. Javits nevertheless pursued the seat on the
Liberal PartyThe Liberal Party of New York is a minor American political party that has been active only in the state of New York. Its platform supports a standard set of social liberal policies: it supports right to abortion, increased spending on education, and universal health care.As of 2007, the Liberal...
ticket,
splittingA split vote is normally used synonymously with "deadlocked", "hung", or "evenly split" vote. It indicates a vote in which no decision can be made, as neither side has the majority....
the left-wing vote in ordinarily liberal New York with Democratic Congresswoman
Elizabeth HoltzmanElizabeth Holtzman is an American lawyer and former Democratic politician, pioneer woman officeholder, four term U.S. Representative , two term District Attorney of Kings County , and New York City Comptroller .Her role on the House Judiciary Committee during the Watergate scandal drew national...
and leading to D'Amato's 45%
plurality victory.
United States Senate
D'Amato drew the nickname
Senator Pothole for his delivery of "constituent services," helping citizens with their individual cases. While some New Yorkers meant the nickname as a
pejorativePejoratives , including name slurs, are words or grammatical forms that connote negativity and express contempt or distaste. A term can be regarded as pejorative in some social groups but not in others, e.g., hacker is a term used for computer criminals as well as quick and clever computer experts...
, many others saw it as a positive affirmation of his attention to getting things done.
Senator D'Amato also holds the record for the second and seventh longest
filibusterA filibuster is a type of parliamentary procedure. Specifically, it is the right of an individual to extend debate, allowing a lone member to delay or entirely prevent a vote on a given proposal...
s ever recorded in the United States Senate. He is remembered for his unique and rather comical filibusters. In 1986, a filibuster he conducted against a military bill lasted 23 hours, 30 minutes and he was known for reading the District of Columbia phone book during a filibuster. On another occasion, he once filibustered a bill that would have caused the loss of 750 jobs in upstate New York by singing "South of the Border (Down Mexico Way)"
Senator D'Amato is also remembered for presenting a poster of a "Taxasaurus Rex," which he then stabbed with an oversized pencil.
He was a member of the President's Commission on Aviation Security and Terrorism (PCAST), which was set up in September 1989 to review and report on aviation security policy in light of the sabotage of
Pan Am Flight 103Pan Am Flight 103 was Pan American World Airways' third daily scheduled transatlantic flight from London Heathrow Airport to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport...
on December 21, 1988.
While he was in office, he was chair of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, and was a member of the Senate Finance Committee. As a member of the former, he became a leading critic of the Clinton administration regarding the Whitewater scandal, and during 1995 and 1996 chaired the hearings-heavy Senate Special Whitewater Committee. As a member of the latter, he championed the cause of Holocaust survivors trying to recover relatives' funds from accounts in Swiss banks.
D'Amato was very influential in New York Republican politics, and widely considered the "boss" of the state GOP during his Senate years. He played a leading role in recruiting
George PatakiGeorge Elmer Pataki is an American politician who was the 53rd Governor of New York. A member of the Republican Party, Pataki served three consecutive four-year terms from January 1, 1995 until December 31, 2006.- Early life :...
and securing the Gubernatorial nomination for him, for example.
D'Amato was known for being fairly
conservativeConservatism in the United States has played an important role in American politics since the 1950s. Historian Gregory Schneider identifies several constants in American conservatism: respect for tradition, support of republicanism, preservation of "the rule of law and the Christian religion", and...
, a reflection of strongly conservative
Nassau CountyNassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
and Long Island but remains very popular among some of New York's liberal voters. He strongly supported the conservative positions of his party on "law and order" issues such as
capital punishmentCapital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
and harsh penalties for drug offenses. On some issues, he agreed with the opposition: in 1993, D'Amato was one of only three Republicans to vote in favor of allowing gays to serve openly in the U.S. military. In 1996, he was among the minority of Republicans to vote to extend federal protections against employment discrimination to gays and lesbians.
In fact, in the
1998 electionThe 1998 United States Senate election in New York took place on November 3, 1998 along with elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Republican U.S...
, D'Amato was endorsed by the
Human Rights CampaignThe Human Rights Campaign is the United States' largest LGBT advocacy group and lobbying organization; according to the HRC, it has more than one million members and supporters...
over socially liberal Democratic Congressman
Charles SchumerCharles Ellis "Chuck" Schumer is the senior United States Senator from New York and a member of the Democratic Party. First elected in 1998, he defeated three-term Republican incumbent Al D'Amato by a margin of 55%–44%. He was easily re-elected in 2004 by a margin of 71%–24% and in 2010 by a...
. On labor issues too, he frequently sided with Democrats. His 55% to 45% 1998 loss was attributed to a lack of support among moderate voters in
New York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, site of opponent Charles Schumer's US Congressional district.
Another factor contributing to his loss was his labeling of Rep. Schumer as a "putz-head," which means "fool" or "penis-head" in Yiddish. This was ironic on several levels: firstly, D'Amato had previously enjoyed considerable Jewish support because of his strong pro-Israel stance, as well as his efforts to help Holocaust survivors. Secondly, D'Amato narrowly won in 1992 for the same reason he lost in 1998; his 1992 opponent, then-attorney general Robert Abrams, called D'Amato a "fascist," which some people (including D'Amato himself) interpreted as an ethnic slur because D'Amato is Italian. After his defeat, he became a correspondent for George Magazine until it ceased publication in 2001, and was also a commentator on Fox News. He is now managing director of Computer Associates, serves as Chairman of the Board of the
Poker Players AllianceThe Poker Players Alliance is an American nonprofit Interest group formed "to speak with one voice to promote poker, and to protect the players' rights." The PPA formed to serve as an advocacy group to Washington to establish rights and protections for U.S. poker players. Within the first year of...
, and regularly appears on NY1 TV's "Inside City Hall" program to discuss issues with former Mayor
Ed KochEdward Irving "Ed" Koch is an American lawyer, politician, and political commentator. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1969 to 1977 and three terms as mayor of New York City from 1978 to 1989...
, former opponent
Mark GreenMark J. Green is an author, public interest lawyer and a Democratic politician who lives in New York City. He worked with Ralph Nader from 1970-1980, eventually as director of Public Citizen's Congress Watch, and is also the former president of Air America Radio .He was New York City Consumer...
, and the moderator.
Controversies
D'Amato is also known for his public controversies and brash style. After a series of investigations in 1991, the Senate Ethics Committee reprimanded D'Amato for allowing his brother
ArmandArmand Paul D'Amato is a former New York State Legislator, practicing attorney, business leader, and the younger brother of former United States Senator Alphonse M. D'Amato of New York. He was charged with mail fraud in 1993 in relation to payoffs allegedly received from a defense contractor...
, a lobbyist, to use office stationery to help solicit million-dollar
NavyThe United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
contracts for
UnisysUnisys Corporation , headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, United States, and incorporated in Delaware, is a long established business whose core products now involves computing and networking.-History:...
. Armand D'Amato was convicted on 7 of the 24 counts of mail fraud in May 1993. A federal appeals court reversed Armand D'Amato's mail fraud conviction, finding insufficient evidence against him. Al D'Amato blames
William WeldWilliam Floyd Weld is a former governor of the US state of Massachusetts. He served as that state's 68th governor from 1991 to 1997. From 1981 to 1988, he was a federal prosecutor in the United States Justice Department...
, at the time a federal prosecutor, for an overzealous prosecution against Armand.
The senator's brother was also partners with
Lucchese crime familyThe Lucchese crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The family originated in the early 1920s with Gaetano "Tommy" Reina serving as boss up until his murder...
captain
Paul VarioPaul Vario was a caporegime of a crew in the Lucchese crime family. In the 1970s Vario held the position of consigliere in the family but later resigned. In 1980, longtime associate Henry Hill became a government witness and testified against Vario and members of his crew...
and mob associate Phillip Basile. When Basile was arrested for getting mob associate Henry Hill a
no-show jobA no-show job is a paid position that ostensibly requires the holder to perform duties, but for which no work, or even attendance, is actually expected....
at one of his
discosA nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
, Senator D'Amato testified on Basile's behalf.
During the
Imus in the MorningImus in the Morning is an American radio show hosted by Don Imus on Cumulus Media Networks , and simulcast for television on Fox Business Network....
radio program on April 4, 1995, D'Amato used a mock Japanese accent to impersonate
Lance ItoLance Allan Ito is an American Los Angeles County Superior Court judge, best known for his presiding decision during the O. J. Simpson murder trial. He currently hears felony criminal cases at the Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center.-Early life and career:Ito was born to Jim and Toshi Ito...
, a
Japanese Americanare American people of Japanese heritage. Japanese Americans have historically been among the three largest Asian American communities, but in recent decades have become the sixth largest group at roughly 1,204,205, including those of mixed-race or mixed-ethnicity...
judgeA judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
overseeing the ongoing O.J. Simpson trial (though Ito, born and raised in the United States, has a characteristically American accent). He later apologized on the Senate floor for his comments.
In 1994, he insulted
Betsy McCaughey RossBetsy McCaughey , formerly known as Betsy McCaughey Ross, was the Republican Lieutenant Governor of New York from 1995 to 1998, during the first term of Governor George Pataki. She unsuccessfully sought the Democratic Party nomination for Governor after Pataki dropped her from his 1998 ticket.An...
, the Republican candidate for
Lieutenant Governor of New YorkThe Lieutenant Governor of New York is a constitutional office in the executive branch of the government of New York State. It is the second highest ranking official in state government. The lieutenant governor is elected on a ticket with the governor for a four year term...
; he joked that in order to get an endorsement for her running mate,
George PatakiGeorge Elmer Pataki is an American politician who was the 53rd Governor of New York. A member of the Republican Party, Pataki served three consecutive four-year terms from January 1, 1995 until December 31, 2006.- Early life :...
, she should have sex with New York City mayor
Rudy GiulianiRudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
, who had endorsed
Mario CuomoMario Matthew Cuomo served as the 52nd Governor of New York from 1983 to 1994, and is the father of Andrew Cuomo, the current governor of New York.-Early life:...
.
In October 1998, D'Amato was criticized for insulting Congressman Jerry Nadler. According to
USA TodayUSA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, D'Amato "referred to the heavyset Nadler as 'Congressman Waddler.' He also did a physical imitation of Nadler (D-NY) waddling like a duck." D'Amato subsequently apologized, saying, "It was a poor attempt at humor, and I was wrong, and I apologized to him."
Zoning
D'Amato has been the subject of much controversy over local zoning laws in Lido Beach,
New YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
(governed by the Town of Hempstead). His wife, who sat on the Town's zoning board, was forced to recuse herself after accusations arose over 'unfair' and 'unethical' treatment as D'Amato made what would have been illegal additions to his Lido Beach home.
[dead link]
2008 presidential race
On June 12, 2007, the former three-term Senator from New York endorsed one-time Senate colleague from
TennesseeTennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
Fred Thompson for the Republican nomination for president in 2008.
In explaining his endorsement of Thompson, former Senator D'Amato called Thompson "a real conservative," not a candidate who adopted conservative positions in preparation for an election. D'Amato added, "Fred Thompson is the kind of candidate our party can unify behind and support wholeheartedly." On January 22, 2008 after poor showings from Fred Thompson, D'Amato threw his support to
John McCainJohn Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
for the 2008 Presidential Election, saying "If you want to win in November, John McCain is the man."
Poker Players Alliance (PPA)
D'Amato is chairman of the
Poker Players AllianceThe Poker Players Alliance is an American nonprofit Interest group formed "to speak with one voice to promote poker, and to protect the players' rights." The PPA formed to serve as an advocacy group to Washington to establish rights and protections for U.S. poker players. Within the first year of...
(PPA), a nonprofit organization set up to help protect and fight for the rights of poker players in the United States. Part of the PPA's mission is to protect the right of poker players to play online.
He appeared on Howard Stern's Sirius-XM radio show on July 20, 2009, to promote the PPA.
Electoral history
- United States Senate election in New York, 1998
The 1998 United States Senate election in New York took place on November 3, 1998 along with elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Republican U.S...
- Chuck Schumer (D), 54%
- Al D'Amato (R) (inc.
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
), 44%
- United States Senate election in New York, 1992
The 1992 United States Senate election in New York took place on November 3, 1992 alongside other elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Republican U.S...
- Al D'Amato (R) (inc.
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
), 49%
- Robert Abrams
Robert Abrams is an American lawyer and politician.-Life and career:He graduated from Columbia College and the New York University School of Law. He is considered a member of the reform wing of the Democratic Party.Abrams was a member of the New York State Assembly representing the Bronx from 1966...
(D), 48%
- United States Senate election in New York, 1986
The 1986 United States Senate election in New York took place on November 3, 1986 alongside other elections to the United States Senate in other states as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Republican U.S...
- Al D'Amato (R) (inc.
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
), 58%
- Mark Green
Mark J. Green is an author, public interest lawyer and a Democratic politician who lives in New York City. He worked with Ralph Nader from 1970-1980, eventually as director of Public Citizen's Congress Watch, and is also the former president of Air America Radio .He was New York City Consumer...
(D), 41%
- United States Senate election in New York, 1980
- Al D'Amato (R), 45%
- Elizabeth Holtzman
Elizabeth Holtzman is an American lawyer and former Democratic politician, pioneer woman officeholder, four term U.S. Representative , two term District Attorney of Kings County , and New York City Comptroller .Her role on the House Judiciary Committee during the Watergate scandal drew national...
(D), 44%
- Jacob Javits (Lib.
The Liberal Party of New York is a minor American political party that has been active only in the state of New York. Its platform supports a standard set of social liberal policies: it supports right to abortion, increased spending on education, and universal health care.As of 2007, the Liberal...
) (inc.The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
), 11%
- 1980 Republican Senatorial Primary
- Al D'Amato, 56.3%
- Jacob Javits (inc.
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
), 43.7%
Acting career
D'Amato had a brief cameo as himself in the 1997 movie
The Devil's AdvocateThe Devil's Advocate is a 1997 American horror film directed by Taylor Hackford starring Keanu Reeves, Al Pacino and Charlize Theron, and based on a novel by Andrew Neiderman....
.
D'Amato also made a brief cameo appearance as himself in an episode of
Spin CitySpin City is an American sitcom television series that aired from September 17, 1996 until April 30, 2002 on the ABC network. Created by Gary David Goldberg and Bill Lawrence, the show was based on a fictional local government running New York City, and originally starred Michael J. Fox as Mike...
.
External links