The head of luxury cosmetics company Borghese, Mosbacher is better known for her red-maned presence on the social circuit and as one of the GOP's most reliable—and highest-profile—fundraisers.

The President Emeritus of the Center for Constitutional Rights and the most idealistic member of the Ratner clan, Michael Ratner is a legal gadfly best known for campaigning for the civil rights of terrorism suspects held at Guantanamo Bay. He's the brother of real estate developer Bruce Ratner.

Majora Carter is the founder and former executive director of Sustainable South Bronx, a non-profit focused on promoting environmental justice and green space in the borough. Now she's respectfully sold out to the private center with the "green" economic consulting firm, The Majora Carter Group, LLC.

As Mayor Bloomberg's Commissioner of Cultural Affairs, Kate Levin doles out millions every year to hundreds of arts and cultural organizations in the city.

Until December 2008, Kaye served as chief judge of the State of New York Court of Appeals, the highest court in New York. She was the first woman to hold the position.

Lewis was CEO of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), the left-leaning and often controversial group that advocates on behalf of low-income Americans. Although the organization disbanded in 2010, she's still active, launching The Black Institute.

Notar is the managing partner of Nobu restaurants.

Equal parts aristocrat and technocrat, Burden is both an heiress and the head of New York City's planning commission.

Pellegrino is owner of Rao's, the East Harlem Italian eatery that is virtually impossible to get into. He's something of an actor, too.

Scoppetta was New York City's fire commissioner from 2002-2010. He was responsible for more than 16,000 firefighters, emergency medical personnel and civilians on staff at the FDNY.

A renowned choreographer, Twyla Tharp is known for taking a wrecking ball to the wall between modern dance and ballet.

A career New York City bureaucrat, Benepe was Commissioner of the Department of Parks and Recreation until he stepped down in 2012 to join a national conservation group.

Lomonaco is the chef-owner of Porter House at the Time Warner Center, which is where to go when you want to spend a lot of money on meat in a mall.

As commissioner of the NYPD, Kelly oversees the largest urban police department in the world with close to 40,000 officers in the five boroughs under his command.

Professional firebrand Norman Siegel speaks—and loudly—for progressive causes in New York City, whether it's with the NYCLU or as a candidate for public advocate.

As head of the Museum of Modern Art since 1995, Lowry has presided over the museum's massive expansion—and courted plenty of controversy along the way.

Saltz is New York Magazine's art critic known for his direct, unequivocal opinions and willingness to champion young artists, so much so that he landed a judge spot on Bravo's artist competition show Work of Art. He's also half of one of the art world's most prominent power couples—his wife is Times critic Roberta Smith.

Known for her life-size installations of paper silhouettes, Walker's arresting work explores race, gender, and violence.

Goldin invented the gritty hipster photograph: Her pictures of friends crossdressing, doing drugs, and having sex helped define a vivid, grungy aesthetic that's been popular for more than two decades.

One of the biggest names in contemporary art, Currin is loved and hated for his primary subject matter: women with extremely large—and usually exposed—breasts. He's married to Rachel Feinstein.