Al D'Amato facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Al D'Amato
Official portrait, around the 1990s
Chair of the Senate Banking Committee
In office January 3, 1995 – January 3, 1999
Preceded by	Donald Riegle
Succeeded by	Phil Gramm
United States Senator from New York
In office January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1999
Preceded by	Jacob Javits
Succeeded by	Chuck Schumer
Personal details
Born	Alfonse Marcello D'Amato (1937-08-01) August 1, 1937 (age 88) Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouses	Penelope D'Amato ​ ​ (m. 1960; div. 1995)​ Katuria Smith ​ ​ (m. 2004; separated 2017)​
Children	6
Education	Syracuse University (BS, LLB)

Alfonse Marcello D'Amato (born August 1, 1937) is an American lawyer and politician. He was a member of the Republican Party. D'Amato represented the state of New York in the United States Senate from 1981 to 1999. The U.S. Senate is one of the two parts of Congress, where laws for the country are made.

From 1995 to 1999, he was the chairman of an important committee called the Senate Banking Committee. This committee helps make rules for banks and housing.

D'Amato was born in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up on Long Island. After getting a law degree from Syracuse University, he became involved in local politics. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1980. He won re-election two more times in 1986 and 1992. In 1998, he lost the election to Chuck Schumer. D'Amato is the last Republican to serve as a U.S. Senator from New York.

After leaving the Senate, D'Amato started a company called Park Strategies, which works with the government on behalf of other companies.

Early Life and Career

Al D'Amato was born in Brooklyn, New York, and has Italian roots. His family moved to the small village of Island Park on Long Island, where he grew up. His father, Armand D'Amato, was an insurance broker.

After high school, D'Amato went to Syracuse University and then to Syracuse University's law school. After becoming a lawyer, he started his career in politics in Nassau County. He held several local government jobs before deciding to run for the U.S. Senate.

United States Senator

Ronald Reagan gives a check to Al D'Amato and other New York leaders for a project in 1981.

In 1980, D'Amato ran for the U.S. Senate. He was not very well-known at the time. He first had to win the Republican Party's primary election against the current senator, Jacob Javits. D'Amato won the primary.

In the main election, he faced Javits again (who ran with a different party) and the Democratic candidate, Elizabeth Holtzman. D'Amato won the election and became a senator. He was re-elected in 1986 and 1992.

Senator Pothole

D'Amato earned the nickname "Senator Pothole" because he was known for helping New Yorkers with their everyday problems. This is called "constituent services." While some people used the nickname to make fun of him, many others saw it as a good thing. It meant he paid attention to the needs of the people he represented.

Famous Filibusters

D'Amato with President Ronald Reagan in 1986.

A filibuster is when a senator gives a very long speech to delay a vote on a bill. D'Amato was known for some unusual and funny filibusters.

• In 1986, he spoke for 23 and a half hours to delay a military bill. During his speech, he read from the District of Columbia phone book.
• In 1992, he filibustered another bill by singing the song "South of the Border (Down Mexico Way)." This bill would have caused 750 people in New York to lose their jobs.

Important Votes and Roles

As a senator, D'Amato was involved in many important decisions.

• He voted to make Martin Luther King Jr. Day a national holiday.
• He was the chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. In this role, he led an investigation into a controversy known as the Whitewater scandal during the presidency of Bill Clinton.
• He was also on the Senate Finance Committee. He helped Holocaust survivors get back money that their families had placed in Swiss banks before World War II.

D'Amato was considered a powerful figure in New York's Republican Party. He helped George Pataki get the party's support to run for governor in 1994, an election Pataki won.

Political Views

D'Amato (left) with other senators announcing a deal on transportation funding in 1998.

D'Amato was known as a conservative politician. He supported strong laws against crime. However, on some issues, he did not agree with his party. For example, in 1993, he was one of only three Republicans who voted to allow gay people to serve openly in the military.

In 1998, D'Amato ran for a fourth term in the Senate but lost to Chuck Schumer.

Career After the Senate

After leaving the Senate in 1999, D'Amato stayed active in public life. He wrote a book about his experiences called Power, Pasta and Politics. He also worked as a political commentator for Fox News and other media outlets.

D'Amato has also been involved in presidential politics. He has supported several Republican candidates over the years, including Fred Thompson (2008), Mitt Romney (2012), John Kasich (2016), and Donald Trump (2016 and 2020).

Personal Life

D'Amato married his first wife, Penelope, in 1960. They had four children together before their marriage ended in 1995.

In 2004, he married his second wife, Katuria. They had two children, a son and a daughter. Their marriage ended in 2017.

In November 2020, D'Amato was hospitalized after getting sick with COVID-19. He recovered and was able to leave the hospital five days later.

Electoral History

Images for kids

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  Fred Thompson, Mike Long, and D'Amato in 2007.