The political heavy hitters received a standing ovation Sunday night at a crowded public memorial service at Lehman College in the Bronx for former U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel.

Engel died at 79 on April 10.

Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke at memorial service.

"He made my life easier when I was president. Everybody may say when we repealed trickle-down economics by one vote that he saved my presidency, but Eliot did. And the more important thing was he proved that trickle-down economics was not the best way to run a country," former President Clinton said.

"He was by my side when I announced my first campaign for the Senate. He was with me in every campaign after. He was a very wise and steadfast advisor. He was someone you could always count on to be there and frankly to tell you what he thought, but in a nice way," former Secretary of State Clinton added.

Engel's daughter, Julia Engel, also spoke about her father.

"My father would have loved this -- a room full of people he admired, people he fought alongside, people he argued with, and people he loved," she said.

"Eliot Engel was not just a friend and represented the area, but he was a Congress member of great substance. He did a lot of things in foreign affairs and domestically, and we're all here to remember his memory and to appreciate the things he did for us," added Rep. George Latimer.

Joe Fazz and his family made the trip from West Palm Beach, Florida, to pay their respects.

"He always took care of people who needed help. He was famous for always opening himself up to people who needed help," he said.