Alfonse Marcello D'Amato (born August 1, 1937) is a former New York politician. A Republican, he served as United States Senator from New York from 1981 to 1999 (when he lost his seat to U.S. Representative Charles Schumer, a Democrat). From http://bioguide. ... August 1 is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (214th in leap years), with 152 days remaining. ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Official language(s) English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area  Ranked 27th  - Total 54,520 sq mi (141,205 km²)  - Width 285 miles (455 km)  - Length 330 miles (530 km)  - % water 13. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... The United States Senate is the upper house of the U.S. Congress, smaller than the United States House of Representatives. ... The House of Representatives is the larger of two houses that make up the U.S. Congress, the other being the United States Senate. ... Charles Ellis Chuck Schumer (born November 23, 1950) is a Jewish American politician. ... The Democratic Party is one of two major political parties in the United States, the other one being the Republican Party. ...

D'Amato was born in Brooklyn and raised on Long Island. He is a graduate of Chaminade High School, Syracuse University, and Syracuse Law School. He is a brother of the Alpha Chi Rho fraternity. His political career started with the Nassau County 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 wills. He was first appointed and then elected Receiver of Taxes of Hempstead, New York. He left this office to become a town supervisor in Hempstead and in 1977 he was elected presiding supervisor. Brooklyn (named for the Dutch city Breukelen) is one of the five boroughs of New York City. ... Mercator projection of Long Island Long Island is an island in New York, USA. It has an area of 1,377 square miles (3567 km²) and a population of 7. ... Chaminade High School is a Roman Catholic high school for boys located in Mineola, New York. ... Syracuse University (SU) is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York. ... Syracuse University College of Law (SUCOL), founded in 1895, is a professional school of Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. ... Alpha Chi Rho (ΑΧΡ) is a mens collegiate fraternity founded on June 4th, 1895 at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut by the Reverend Paul Ziegler, his son Carl Ziegler, and Carls friends William Rouse, Herbert T. Sherriff and William A.D. Eardeley. ... Nassau County is a suburban county in the New York Metropolitan Area east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York. ... In the common law, a will or testament is a document by which a person (the testator) regulates the rights of others over his property or family after death. ... Hempstead is a town in Nassau County, New York, United States. ...

As a rather obscure candidate, he then defeated incumbent Sen. Jacob Javits in the 1980 Republican primary election, taking advantage of Javits' 1979 diagnosis of generally fatal amytrophic lateral sclerosis. Javits nevertheless pursued the seat on the Liberal Party ticket, splitting the left-wing vote in ordinarily liberal New York with Democratic Congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman and leading to D'Amato's 45% plurality victory. This victory is largely credited to his campaign manager, Arthur J. Finkelstein. Jacob Koppel Javits (May 18, 1904–March 7, 1986) was an American politician. ... The examples and perspective in this article do not represent a worldwide view. ... The motor neurone diseases (MND) are a group of progressive neurological disorders that destroy motor neurones, the cells that control voluntary muscle activity such as speaking, walking, breathing, and swallowing. ... The Liberal Party of New York is a minor political party active only in New York State. ... This article or section should be merged with Spoiler effect A split vote, or vote splitting, occurs in an election when the existence of two or more candidates that represent relatively similar viewpoints among voters reduces the votes received by each of them, reducing the chances of any one of... Elizabeth Holtzman (born August 11, 1941) is an American Democratic politician. ... The First Past the Post electoral system, is a voting system for single-member districts. ... The only known photo of Arthur J. Finkelstein Arthur J. Finkelstein (born 1946) is a United States Republican Party political operative. ...

D'Amato drew the nickname Senator Pothole for his delivery of "constituent services," helping citizens with their individual cases. Many New Yorkers meant the nickname as a pejorative.

Senator D'Amato also hold the record for the second and seventh longest filibusters 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 phonebook 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)" In a legislature or other decision making body, a filibuster is an attempt to extend debate upon a proposal in order to delay or completely prevent a vote on its passage. ... ...

Senator D'Amato is also remembered for using a poster of a "Taxasaurus Rex" he then wildly stabbed the poster 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 the light of the sabotage of Pan Am Flight 103 on December 21, 1988. 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Pan Am Flight 103 was Pan American World Airways third daily scheduled transatlantic flight from Londons Heathrow International Airport to New Yorks John F. Kennedy International Airport. ... December 21 is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

While he was in office, he was chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, and was a member of the Senate Finance Committee. As a member of the latter, he championed the cause of Holocaust survivors trying to recover relatives' funds from accounts in Swiss banks. A chairman is the presiding officer of a meeting, organization, committee, or other deliberative body. ... The United States Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs has jurisdiction over matters related to banks and banking, price controls, deposit insurance, export promotion and controls, federal monetary policy, financial aid to commerce and industry, issuance of redemption of notes, currency and coinage, public and private housing, urban... The U.S. Senate Committee on Finance (or, less formally, Senate Finance Committee) is a standing committee of the United States Senate. ... There are many famous Holocaust survivors who survived the Nazi genocides in Europe and went on to achievements of great fame and notability. ... Swiss banks are world-renowned for their stability, privacy and protection of clients. ...

D'Amato is divorced from his first wife, with whom he has four children. He has dated several well-known personalities, including entertainment television reporter Claudia Cohen. On July 18, 2004 he married Katuria Elizabeth Smith. Claudia Cohen is an American gossip columnist, socialite and television maven. ... July 18 is the 199th day (200th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 166 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

D'Amato was known for being fairly conservative, a reflection of then conservative-leaning Nassau County, yet very popular among New York's liberal voters. He strongly supported the conservative positions of his party on "law and order" issues such as capital punishment 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 discrimination in hiring to homosexuals. On labor issues too he frequently sided with Democrats. His 1998 loss was attributed to a lack of support among moderate voters in New York City, where opponent Charles Schumer was a Representative. 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: first, D'Amato had previously enjoyed considerable Jewish support because of his strong pro-Israel stance, as well as his efforts to help Holocaust survivors. Second, D'Amato 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 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. American conservatism is a constellation of political ideologies within the United States under the blanket heading of conservative. ... Nassau County is a suburban county in the New York Metropolitan Area east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York. ... Capital punishment, or the death penalty, is the execution of a convicted criminal by the state as punishment for crimes known as capital crimes or capital offences. ... Nickname: Big Apple, City that never Sleeps Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area    - City 1,214. ... Yiddish (ייִדיש, Jiddisch) is a Germanic language spoken by about four million Jews throughout the world. ... Robert Abrams is a politician and lawyer in New York. ... Fascism (in Italian, fascismo), capitalized, was the authoritarian political movement which ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943 under the leadership of Benito Mussolini. ... Cover of innaugural issue of George George was a glossy politics-as-lifestyle monthly magazine founded by John F. Kennedy, Jr. ... Fox News Channels slogan is We Report, You Decide The Fox News Channel is a U.S. cable and satellite news channel. ... CA, Inc. ...

D'Amato's decline may also have mirrored that of Nassau County's Republicans. In 2001, after years of alleged scandal and financial mismanagement, Republicans lost control of the county legislature for the first time in 40 years, and Democrat Thomas Suozzi was elected County Executive. Thomas Suozzi Thomas R. Suozzi (born 1962) is a Democratic candidate for Governor of New York. ...

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 Armand, a lobbyist, to use office stationery to help solicit million-dollar Navy contracts for Unisys. 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 attributes William Weld, at the time a federal prosecutor, for an overzealous prosecution against Armand. The U.S. Senate Select Committee on Ethics is a select committee of the United States Senate charged with dealing with matters related to senatorial ethics. ... Armand Paul DAmato is a former New York State Legislator[citation needed], practicing attorney, business leader, and the younger brother of former U.S. Senator Alphonse M. DAmato of New York. ... Lobbying is the practice of private advocacy with the goal of influencing a governing body, in order to ensure that an individuals or organizations point of view is represented in the government. ... USN redirects here. ... A defense contractor or a military contractor is a business or individual who contracts with a government to provide goods or services used for national security or warfare. ... Unisys Corporation (NYSE: UIS), based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, United States, is a global provider of information technology services and solutions. ... William Weld William Floyd Weld (born July 31, 1945) was the Republican Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts from 1991 to 1997, resigning to pursue the ambassadorship to Mexico. ...

During the Don Imus radio program on April 4, 1995, he used a mock Japanese accent to impersonate Lance Ito, a Japanese American judge overseeing the ongoing O. J. Simpson trial (Ito has a characteristically American accent). He later apologized on the Senate floor for his comments. Don Imus John Donald Imus, Jr. ... April 4 is the 94th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (95th in leap years). ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Lance Allan Ito (born August 2, 1950 in Los Angeles, California) is a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge who hears felony criminal cases at the county courthouse in downtown Los Angeles. ... Serving from 1999 to 2003, Army General Eric Shinseki of Hawaii became the first Asian American military chief of staff. ... A judge or justice is an official who presides over a court. ... Orenthal James Simpson (born July 9, 1947, San Francisco, California), publicly known by his initials as O. J., and nicknamed The Juice, is a former college and professional football player and film actor. ...

In 1994, he insulted Betsy McCaughey Ross, the Republican candidate for New York Lieutenant Governor; he joked that in order to get an endorsement for her running mate, George Pataki, she should have sex with New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, who had endorsed Mario Cuomo. Betsy McCaughey Ross (born on October 20, 1948, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) was the lieutenant-governor of the State of New York from 1995 to 1999, during the first term of Republican Governor George Pataki. ... A Lieutenant Governor is a government official who is the subordinate or deputy of a Governor or Governor-General. ... George Elmer Pataki (born June 24, 1945) is the current Governor of New York State, USA serving since January 1995, and as of late 2006 is the longest-serving of all current U.S. governors. ... Nickname: Big Apple, City that never Sleeps Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs Bronx (The Bronx) New York (Manhattan) Queens (Queens) Kings (Brooklyn) Richmond (Staten Island) Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area    - City 1,214. ... A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning larger,greater) is in modern times the title of the highest ranking municipal officer, who discharges certain judicial and administrative functions, in many systems an elected politician, who serves as chief executive and/or ceremonial official of many types of municipalities. ... Rudolph William Louis Rudy Giuliani III, (born May 28, 1944, in Brooklyn, New York) is an American politician and attorney, best known for his service as the Mayor of New York City from January 1, 1994, through December 31, 2001. ... Mario Matthew Cuomo (born June 15, 1932) is an American lawyer and New York State Democratic Party politician. ...

In October 1998, D'Amato was criticized for insulting Congressman Jerry Nadler. According to USAToday, D'Amato "referred to the heavyset Nadler as 'Congressman Waddler.' He also did a physical imitation of Nadler, D-N.Y., waddling like a duck." [1] D'Amato subsequently apologized, saying, "It was a poor attempt at humor, and I was wrong, and I apologized to him." Jerrold Lewis Nadler (born June 13, 1947) is a American politician from the U.S. state of New York. ... USA TODAY is a national American newspaper published by the Gannett Corporation. ...

References

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

The Biographical Directory of the United States Congress is a biographical dictionary of all members of both houses of the United States Congress, past and present. ...

Electoral history

• 1998 Race for U.S. Senate
  • Chuck Schumer (D), 54%
  • Al D'Amato (R) (inc.), 44%
• 1992 Race for U.S. Senate
  • Al D'Amato (R) (inc.), 49%
  • Robert Abrams (D), 48%
• 1986 Race for U.S. Senate
  • Al D'Amato (R) (inc.), 58%
  • Mark Green (D), 41%
• 1980 Race for U.S. Senate
  • Al D'Amato (R), 45%
  • Elizabeth Holtzman (D), 44%
  • Jacob Javits (Lib.) (inc.), 11%