Brooklyn-born former U.S. Senator Alfonse D’Amato celebrated his 80th birthday Tuesday, and he did so with about 200 of his closest friends.
A longtime friend of the retired lawmaker hosted the birthday bash in Midtown.
D'Amato took a moment away from greeting friends and well-wishers to weigh in on his record.
"But there are issues every day that confront the American people and people in our state, and I was a voice to fight for people in our state," D'Amato said. "So you wanted to call me the 'pothole senator?' Go ahead. By the way, what might be some, you think is a pothole, to someone else may be life and death."
D'Amato represented New York in the Senate from 1981 to 1999. No Republican from New York has served on the Senate since.