A partner in Debevoise & Plimpton's Financial Institutions Group, Mr Dinallo told curious colleagues about the incident in an email. He explained that he had used a technique learnt in order to rescue people who fell into a frozen lake, which is to liedown as near as possible to the person and then pull them out. 

Adrenaline

After Mr Dinallo pulled the man onto the platform, the train 'came screeching by and stopped about 40 feet past us'. He said that adrenaline had kicked in during the experience, adding that, 'It was much more frightening on reflection and after the fact than when it was happening.'

Scourge of Wall Street

Mr Dinallo had worked in the Attorney General's office and was held high regard, according to the Wall Street Journal, which described him as 'a scourge of Wall Street under former New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer'. However, he was defeated in the election for the top post by Eric Schneiderman in 2010. Sources: ABA; The Wall Street Journal