and why did the MTA name the West Side Yard in NYC after him?
Try this also on the LIRR page. Basically, he was a state senator that did alot for rail, and helped facilitate the conversion of the old B Yard into Westside Yard for the LIRR. This was dovetailed into the huge project which combined the towers in Penn Sta. and into what is now Penn Sta. Central Control. I may be mistakened, but he may have had a hand in Amtrak's Empire Connection into Penn as well.
This was huge for the LIRR as it eliminated many "equipment moves", trains running empty to get prepositioned for a rush hour train, and helped use Penn Sta. to it's full capacity. This is why they named the yard after him. Hope the name sticks if they build a stadium over it...