Alfonse Marcello D'Amato (born August 1, 1937) is an American attorney, lobbyist, and
Republican politician who represented
the state of New York in the
United States Senate
The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
from 1981 to 1999. From 1995 to 1999, he chaired the
Senate Banking Committee.
D'Amato was born in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
in 1937 and raised in
Island Park, New York
Island Park is a Administrative divisions of New York#Village, village located in the Hempstead, New York, Town of Hempstead in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, New York (state), New York, United States. It is a neighbor to Long Beach, New ...
. He attended
Syracuse University
Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York, United States. It was established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church but has been nonsectarian since 1920 ...
, receiving a law degree, before returning to Island Park and becoming involved in local Republican politics. Rising through the ranks, he held offices at the village, town, and county levels.
[''The Almanac of American Politics 1996'', by Michael Barone and Grant Ujifusa, National Journal Inc., 1995, pages 904 and 908]
In
1980
Events January
* January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a United States grain embargo against the Soviet Union, grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission.
* January 6 – Global Positioning Sys ...
, D'Amato defeated four-term Republican incumbent
Jacob Javits in the primary election for United States Senator. D'Amato went on to prevail in the general election, defeating Javits (who remained in the race on the Liberal Party ticket) and Democratic U.S. Representative
Elizabeth Holtzman. He was re-elected in
1986 and
1992
1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General.
* January 6
** The Republ ...
, but was defeated in
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
by
Chuck Schumer
Charles Ellis Schumer ( ; born November 23, 1950) is an American politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from New York (state), New York, a seat he has held since 1999. ...
.
As of , D'Amato is the last Republican to have represented New York in the U.S. Senate.
Following his departure from the Senate, D'Amato founded Park Strategies, a lobbying firm.
Early life and family
D'Amato, of
Italian ancestry, was born in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...
and raised in the small village of
Island Park on
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...
. He is the son of Antoinette (Ciofarri) and Armand D'Amato, an insurance broker. D'Amato is a graduate of
Syracuse University
Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York, United States. It was established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church but has been nonsectarian since 1920 ...
and
Syracuse University College of Law. He is an attorney.
Early political career
D'Amato served as public administrator of Nassau County from 1965 to 1968, and then served as Hempstead tax assessor in 1969. From 1971 to 1977, D'Amato was a Hempstead town supervisor. He was the presiding supervisor and the vice chair of the Nassau County Board of Supervisors from 1977 to 1980.
U.S. Senate

Although a relatively obscure candidate, D'Amato defeated incumbent senator
Jacob Javits by 56% to 44% in the 1980 Republican
primary election following Javits' 1979 diagnosis of
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or—in the United States—Lou Gehrig's disease (LGD), is a rare, Terminal illness, terminal neurodegenerative disease, neurodegenerative disorder that results i ...
. Javits nevertheless pursued the seat on the
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world.
The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...
ticket,
splitting
Splitting may refer to:
* Splitting (psychology)
* Lumpers and splitters, in classification or taxonomy
* Wood splitting
* Tongue splitting
* Splitting (raylway), Splitting, railway operation
Mathematics
* Heegaard splitting
* Splitting field
* S ...
the left-wing vote in ordinarily liberal New York with Democratic Congresswoman
Elizabeth Holtzman and leading to D'Amato's 45%
plurality victory.
D'Amato was re-elected in 1986 and 1992, but lost in 1998 to Democratic congressman
Chuck Schumer
Charles Ellis Schumer ( ; born November 23, 1950) is an American politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from New York (state), New York, a seat he has held since 1999. ...
, a future
Senate Majority Leader.
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
pejorative
A pejorative word, phrase, slur, or derogatory term is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something. It is also used to express criticism, hosti ...
, others saw it as a positive affirmation of his attention to getting things done.
D'Amato holds the record for the third- and eleventh-longest
filibuster
A filibuster is a political procedure in which one or more members of a legislative body prolong debate on proposed legislation so as to delay or entirely prevent a decision. It is sometimes referred to as "talking a bill to death" or "talking ...
s ever recorded in the United States Senate. He is remembered for his unique and rather comical filibusters. In 1986, in a filibuster against a military bill that lasted 23 1/2 hours, he read the
District of Columbia
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...
telephone book. In 1992, D'Amato 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)".
D'Amato is remembered for presenting a poster of a "Taxasaurus Rex", which he then stabbed with an oversized pencil.
D'Amato voted in favor of the
bill establishing
Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a
federal holiday and the
Civil Rights Restoration Act of 1987. In 1987, D'Amato voted to confirm
Robert Bork
Robert Heron Bork (March 1, 1927 – December 19, 2012) was an American legal scholar who served as solicitor general of the United States from 1973 until 1977. A professor by training, he was acting United States Attorney General and a judge on ...
to the Supreme Court of the United States, but Bork's nomination was rejected. In 1991, D'Amato voted to confirm
Clarence Thomas
Clarence Thomas (born June 23, 1948) is an American lawyer and jurist who has served since 1991 as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. President George H. W. Bush nominated him to succeed Thurgood Marshall. Afte ...
to the
U.S. Supreme Court; Thomas was confirmed by the Senate.
D'Amato 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
Bill Clinton's tenure as the 42nd president of the United States began with his first inauguration on January 20, 1993, and ended on January 20, 2001. Clinton, a Democrat from Arkansas, took office following his victory over Republican in ...
regarding the
Whitewater scandal
The Whitewater controversy, Whitewater scandal, Whitewatergate, or simply Whitewater, was an American political controversy during the 1990s. It began with an investigation into the real estate investments of Bill Clinton, Bill and Hillary Clint ...
, and during 1995 and 1996 he chaired the hearings-heavy
Senate Special Whitewater Committee. As a member of the latter, he facilitated the
lawsuit
A lawsuit is a proceeding by one or more parties (the plaintiff or claimant) against one or more parties (the defendant) in a civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today ...
of
Holocaust survivor
Holocaust survivors are people who survived the Holocaust, defined as the persecution and attempted annihilation of the Jews by Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, its collaborators before and during World War II ...
s trying to recover relatives' funds from accounts in
Swiss banks.
D'Amato was influential in New York Republican politics and was considered the "boss" of the state party during his Senate years. For example, he played a leading role in recruiting
George Pataki and in securing him the Republican nomination in the gubernatorial race of 1994.
D'Amato was known for being fairly
conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
, a reflection of then-strongly conservative
Nassau County and
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated continental island in southeastern New York (state), New York state, extending into the Atlantic Ocean. It constitutes a significant share of the New York metropolitan area in both population and land are ...
. He strongly supported the conservative positions of his party on "law and order" issues such as
capital punishment
Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty and formerly called judicial homicide, is the state-sanctioned killing of a person as punishment for actual or supposed misconduct. The sentence (law), sentence ordering that an offender b ...
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. While D'Amato voted for the
Defense of Marriage Act
The Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was a United States federal law passed by the 104th United States Congress and signed into law by President Bill Clinton on September 21, 1996. It banned federal recognition of same-sex marriage by limitin ...
in 1996, he was among the minority of Republicans to vote for the
Employment Non-Discrimination Act
The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) is legislation proposed in the United States Congress that would prohibit discrimination in hiring and employment on the basis of sexual orientation or, depending on the version of the bill, gender i ...
that year. In
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
, the LGBTQ advocacy group
Human Rights Campaign endorsed D'Amato for re-election over socially liberal Democratic Congressman
Chuck Schumer
Charles Ellis Schumer ( ; born November 23, 1950) is an American politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from New York (state), New York, a seat he has held since 1999. ...
.

D'Amato's 54% to 44% loss in 1998 was attributed to a lack of support among moderate voters in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
, the site of opponent Schumer's U.S. congressional district.
Later career
Columnist and analyst
Shortly before leaving office, D'Amato published his book of recollections, ''Power, Pasta and Politics''. After retiring from politics in 1999, he became a regular
columnist
A columnist is a person who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Column (periodical), Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs. They take the ...
for ''
George'' magazine until it ceased publication in 2001. He also emerged as an analyst for
Fox News
The Fox News Channel (FNC), commonly known as Fox News, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conservatism in the United States, conservative List of news television channels, news and political commentary Television stati ...
. A notable on-air incident occurred when D'Amato took offense at comments of GOP strategist
Jack Burkman. Saying he agreed with Burkman's suggestion that the Postal Service should be privatized; D'Amato slammed him for his characterizations of postal workers, which D'Amato said were racist.
As of 2023, D'Amato is a regular contributor at Red Apple Media’s 77WABC, hosted by
John Catsimatidis.
Presidential politics
2008
On June 12, 2007, the former three-term Senator from New York endorsed one-time Senate colleague from
Tennessee
Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
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 Thompson, D'Amato threw his support to
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American statesman and United States Navy, naval officer who represented the Arizona, state of Arizona in United States Congress, Congress for over 35 years, first as ...
for the
2008 presidential election, saying: "If you want to win in November, John McCain is the man".
2012
On March 14, 2012, D'Amato endorsed
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American businessman and retired politician. He served as a United States Senate, United States senator from Utah from 2019 to 2025 and as the 70th governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 ...
for president. He and
Peter Kalikow appeared with Romney at fundraisers in New York leading up to the election.
2016
On August 26, 2015, D'Amato endorsed Ohio Governor
John Kasich for president of the United States over
Jeb Bush
John Ellis "Jeb" Bush (born February 11, 1953) is an American politician and businessman who served as the 43rd governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. A member of the Bush family, Bush political family, he was an unsuccessful candidate for pre ...
and former New York Gov.
George Pataki.
While stating that the Republican Party needed to move past the Bush family, he credited Pataki as a "wonderful guy", but cited Kasich's experience in balancing the budget as a congressman in the 1990s and in Ohio.
Following
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
's victory in the
2016
2016 was designated as:
* International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
* International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
general election, D'Amato stated: "I am in great spirits. I feel great for the people of our country." He urged Trump to appoint
Rudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis Giuliani ( , ; born May 28, 1944) is an American politician and Disbarment, disbarred lawyer who served as the 107th mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001. He previously served as the United States Associate Attorney ...
as
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...
, stating: "I think one great appointment and someone who will follow the law and not bend the law as he or she sees fit as the attorney general is Rudy Giuliani..."
2020
In 2020, D'Amato supported Trump for re-election against Democrat
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...
.
2024
Leading up to the 2024 election, D'Amato opined that New York donors would be reluctant to donate to Trump's campaign. He also criticized Trump's post-election behavior.
In 2024, however, D'Amato expressed support for Trump. He also asserted that
Tim Scott should be chosen as the Republican vice presidential nominee.
Personal life
D'Amato married Penelope Collenburg in 1960. The couple had four children
before divorcing in 1995.
D'Amato married Katuria Smith in 2004. The couple had one son and a daughter.
Katuria D'Amato filed for divorce on October 3, 2017. Al D'Amato won emergency custody of the couple's children, claiming that Katuria D'Amato was mentally ill following an episode in which she was detained by authorities.
In 2018, Katuria D'Amato released a video of Al D'Amato shouting obscenities at her while she was hospitalized. In the midst of the couple's custody battle, Katuria D'Amato filed a $100 million lawsuit against Al D'Amato for alleged racketeering.
In 2017, D'Amato made headlines when he was removed from a New York-bound
JetBlue flight after reportedly trying to rally the passengers against the flight crew. The plane was delayed six times. He later issued a statement apologizing for his behavior.
On November 20, 2020, D'Amato was hospitalized with COVID-19. Five days later, he was released from the hospital.
Electoral history
*
1980 United States Senate election in New York
** ''Republican primary''
*** Al D'Amato, 55.7%
***
Jacob Javits (
incumbent
The incumbent is the current holder of an office or position. In an election, the incumbent is the person holding or acting in the position that is up for election, regardless of whether they are seeking re-election.
There may or may not be ...
), 43.7%
** ''General election''
*** Al D'Amato (R), 44.9%
***
Elizabeth Holtzman (D), 43.5%
***
Jacob Javits (
Lib.) (
inc.), 11.1%
*
1986 United States Senate election in New York
** Al D'Amato (R) (
inc.), 53.0%
**
Mark Green (D), 38.4%
*
1992 United States Senate election in New York
** Al D'Amato (R) (
inc.), 49.0%
**
Robert Abrams (D), 47.8%
*
1998 United States Senate election in New York
**
Chuck Schumer
Charles Ellis Schumer ( ; born November 23, 1950) is an American politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from New York (state), New York, a seat he has held since 1999. ...
(D), 54.6%
** Al D'Amato (R) (
inc.), 44.1%
Book
*
See also
*
References
External links
*
Dems target Al D'AmatoAl D'Amato
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{{DEFAULTSORT:D'Amato, Al
1937 births
American people of Italian descent
Chaminade High School alumni
Living people
New York (state) Republicans
Politicians from Nassau County, New York
People from Island Park, New York
Republican Party United States senators from New York (state)
Syracuse University alumni
Syracuse University College of Law alumni
Town supervisors in New York (state)
Whitewater controversy
Members of Congress who became lobbyists
20th-century United States senators