Carl Heastie is seen as increasingly likely to replace Sheldon Silver as Speaker of the New York State Assembly. You may not have heard of him, but if chosen, the Bronx Democrat would be one of so called three men in a room, responsible for a budget likely to top $136 billion. And there are already some skeptical he can deliver the reform to Albany so many are demanding. NY1’s Josh Robin filed the following report.

To learn about Carl Heastie's rise, go back six-plus years to this celebration.

Then a backbencher from the Bronx, Heastie ousted the party's county leader and later sealed victory in court.

"I think it's about putting together a borough that really works for the people,” he said then.

Working for Heastie was a mutli-ethnic coalition that deposed one dominated by Latino lawmakers.

Behind the scenes then and ever since: a longtime Bronx-fixer named Stanley Schlein with a checkered past.

Nine months ealier, Schlein had been fined by the Conflict of Interest Board.

Schlein admitted when he headed the city's Civil Service Commission, he used the office for work from his private law firm, including 2,000 phone calls.

But as these documents show, Schlein can and still does represent the Bronx Democrats.

"Stanley's job is to tell him where the line is and not to cross it and he does a good job with that,” said former Daily News Bronx Bureau Chief Bob Kappstater.

Schlein didn't return a call. There are questions about Heastie too.

He's often atop the list of lawmakers receiving reimbursements for travel to Albany. Some lawmakers have been accused of using the practice to pad their income. Heastie stands behind his per diems.

Disclosure forms also list Heastie as having between $25,000 and $70,00 in credit debt.

"I don't think that anyone should have any concerns here,” said Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., a longtime friend and former colleague.

"We need someone with the temperament, we need someone with the expertise around budget negotiations, someone who can hit the ground running,” Diaz added.

Budgets are somethign Heastie knows something about. He's a former budget analyst with the city comptroller's office. He holds an MBA.

And Heastie says he'll be independent of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who was seen as lobbying for others.

Heastie isn't seen as an especially productive bill-writer or effective political kingmaker, but he prizes his work on legislation, bringing those five borough green taxis to city streets.

And as for his political clout, it appears to be only growing.