Mangano knew he had his work cut out for him after defeating two-term incumbent Democrat Tom Suozzi in a December 2009 nail-biter for Nassau’s top elected spot. Since then it’s been an uphill battle for the seven-term county legislator from Bethpage, who’s tackled everything from the county’s infamously broken assessment system to devising creative ways to resolve its annual multi-million-dollar deficits. Not all his solutions have been met with fanfare, though. Hundreds protested Mangano’s privatization of Long Island Bus and his police precinct re-shuffling. Laying off hundreds of county employees didn’t win him any new friends, either. And NIFA is definitely not giving him a free pass. But Mangano isn’t afraid of a fight, nor of a little controversy, especially when he believes it’s in the best interests of Nassau residents.
Click here to see the entire 2012 Long Island Press Power List
Click here to see the full Long Island Press Power List Hall of Fame