ALBANY – Low-key and guarded, Dean Skelos brings a very different style to the post of state Senate majority leader than the man he’s replacing, Joseph Bruno.
Skelos’ career was born out of the legendary Nassau County Republican machine, known for its fierce discipline and a penchant for big spending.
First elected in 1984, he climbed to the Senate’s No. 2 spot after throwing crucial support behind Bruno’s 1994 coup. The man Bruno ousted as majority leader, Ralph Marino, was also from Nassau County.
Skelos, 60, has since authored Megan’s Law, the state’s sex offender registry act. He also wrote the bill that repealed New York City’s commuter tax in 1999.
But even after 24 years in the Senate, Skelos remains largely unknown.
Where Bruno relished the center stage and played up to the camera with folksy humor and flamboyant hand gestures, Skelos avoids the spotlight and speaks in measured tones.
“Clearly he’s got a different style,” said Sen. George Winner (R-Elmira). “He’s got to grow into it a bit.”