Fig.: to be very influential. To use one's own weight to influence the acts of a person or organization

Young Richard was apprehended for drunk-driving, but nothing came of the case because his father, who's a wire-puller, was able to pull a few strings with the right people

Il giovane Riccardo era stato arrestato per guida in stato di ubriachezza, ma non se n'è fatto niente perché il padre, che ha le mani lunghe, è riuscito a muovere le pedine giuste tra le sue amicizie altolocate

This expression refers to the strings that control puppets