It stars robert forster, robin riker and michael v. Feb 10, 2017 new york city may have been blanketed with a snowstorm on thursday, but under those snowstrewn streets, legions of mythical alligators slithered impervious through the citys swampy sewer system. By the 1960s, sewer gators had found their way into numerous cartoons and books, including thomas pynchons 1963 novel v, in which little. The story is that wealthy new york families visiting florida would purchase baby gators as pets. We have no record of alligators in the nyc sewer system.
The book behind the seweralligator legend the new york. Yes, they really have found alligators in the new york. Nov 24, 2009 are the alligators in new york city sewers just an urban legend. In 1935, teddy may, the superintendent of sewers of new york city, discovered that there was a large alligator population living in the sewer system. Flaherty said, i could cite you many cogent, logical reasons why the sewer system is. It was in 1935 that the animals were first reported to superintendent of sewers teddy may. Mays sewer safaris discovering serenely paddling colonies of gators, then systematically hunting and destroying them were recounted in robert daleys 1959 book, the world beneath the city. Nov 19, 2015 when i started this research, i didnt think i would find an actual jungle land, or any evidence of real gators in the new york city sewers, but it turns out that there is a good but of potential. On february 9, 1935, a group of teenagers caught and killed an eightfoot, 125pound alligator in a manhole on east 123rd street. In the novel, benny profane works for new york city s alligator patrol, where twoman teams search underground for alligators, one with a flashlight, the other with a shotgun. Jun 03, 2011 in a 1982 interview with the new york times, sewer bureau spokesman john t. Urban adventures fishing for alligators in the sewers of. This story of an alligator, named silas by the tourist family who adopted, then discarded him, begins in florida swamps but soon moves to new york city. Supposedly, baby alligators brought back as pets from florida end up being dumped into the sewer system when they outgrow their young and innocent stage.
Tribute to nycs sewer alligator, new york, new york. The day i found an alligator in new york us news the guardian. One chapter of the book is entitled alligators in the sewers, and stems from a series of interviews conducted with long time commissioner of sewers in new york, teddy may. The most widely cited of these was an article in the times on feb. With themes that run the gamut from funny to sick, risque to informative, frightening to disgusting and bizaree, urban folklore can chill spines, spark smiles or turn stomachs, aand the stories are remarkable for their uncanny ability to travel by word of mouthoften. They were destroyed systematically and the threat of an alligator invasion died away. Nov 01, 2011 i actually mention the 1935 sighting in my book. When i started this research, i didnt think i would find an actual jungle land, or any evidence of real gators in the new york city sewers, but it turns out that there is a good but of potential. Do alligators really live in the sewers of new york city.
Most often reported in new york city and other popular cities, they have also been found in states where alligators are common, such as florida. Louis camacho heard a loud hissing noise while checking his mail in apopko. Originally stemming all the way back to the 1930s, but really taking hold of the collective imagination of americans in the 1950s, stories have persisted over the decades that alligators have been spottedand livein the sewers of new york city mainly, but in other cities, as well. Its a popular urban legend that there are alligators in the new york city sewer. In robert daley s book the world beneath the city 1959 he comments that one night a sewer worker in new york city was shocked to find a large albino alligator. The city will be on its own when it comes to maintaining aged pipes, getting rid of environmentally harmful nitrogen, and dispelling the persistent belief that alligators live in its sewers. By various methods, including poisoning, flushing out, and even shooting, the alligators were exhumed within several months, and there has not been a verified sighting since then. It also includes an appearance by actress sue lyon in her last screen role set in chicago, the film follows a police officer and a reptile expert to track a giant murderous sewer alligator, flushed down the toilet years earlier, that. Oct 20, 2003 the measure will not help new york city control sewage spills or deal with the other problems of its massive sewer system. Several years later, according to robert daleys 1959 book, the world beneath the city, a colony of alligators had settled comfortably into the sewers of new york.
Why oh why is it out of print it was so much fun reading about alligators in the sewers, plotting to be. In the book, daley recalls a story told to him by new york citys superintendent of. Feb 26, 2020 the seminal new york city sewer gator event came on feb. Daleys source was a retired sewer official named teddy may, who claimed that during his tenure in the 1930s he personally investigated workers reports of. Sightings of alligators in the new york sewer system were rampant in the 1930s and 40s when countless residents made claims that they came facetoface with the voracious reptile.
There silas encounters an underground alligator community, and soon assists in the planning, preparation, and migration of. Anything out of the ordinary happen during your thanksgiving. Urban legend holds that there have been several cases of people releasing or losing their pet alligators in the sewer, where they have supposedly grown to be over 10 feet long with a weight of over 800 pounds. The seminal new york city sewergator event came on feb. In a 1982 interview with the new york times, sewer bureau spokesman john t. Sulzberger an overview of the legend of alligators in new york city sewers. According to the original newspaper article, condulucci and his friends fashioned a slipknot and hauled the gator to the surface. There silas encounters an underground alligator community, and soon assists in the planning, preparation, and migration of the great escape from the sewers. This small army is in charge of the nearly 7,400 miles of sewer pipe that.
Yes, they really have found alligators in the new york sewer. Flaherty said, i could cite you many cogent, logical reasons why the sewer system is not a fit habitat for an alligator. Did you know there are gigantic albino alligators living in the sewers of new. Not according to salvatore condoluci, 92, who in 1935 claimed to have caught and killed an 8footlong gator in a sewer on 123rd street near the harlem river. Aug 24, 2010 and no matter that the man interviewed in a 1959 book, the world beneath the city, about his campaign to clean out all the gators from the system had never been sewer commissioner. Meyer berger, who wrote the about new york column for the times, recounted in 1957 that in the mid1930s, sewer alligators seemed to thrive below the pavement in rather frightening numbers. Rating is available when the video has been rented. In the 1950s and 60s, huge numbers of baby spectacled caimans caiman crocodylus, dubbed alligators, were. The truth about alligators in the sewers of new york the new. Bizarre sewer dwelling beasts of the world mysterious universe. The truth about alligators in the sewers of new york. Daleys source was a retired sewer official named teddy may.
Could alligators survive in the sewers of new york city. Yes, they really have found alligators in the new york sewer system by barbara speed an american alligator, presumably planning its next descent into the nations sewers. Coleman would find that in 1938 five alligators were caught in new rochelle, new york, and sightings of alligatorsinthesewers in new york city were recorded in the years 1948 and 1966. Florida man finds alligator hissing in the sewer outside. Tyler hicksthe new york times a whimsical bronze sculpture by tom otterness in the 14th street subway station on the a, c, e and l lines makes reference to the old legend of alligators in the. Man finds large alligator hissing in the sewer outside his house while checking the mail. The measure will not help new york city control sewage spills or deal with the other problems of its massive sewer system. New york city may have been blanketed with a snowstorm on thursday, but under those snowstrewn streets, legions of mythical alligators slithered. Alligators in the sewer and 222 other urban legends.
As with new yorks alligators, this problem is apparently the fault of a particular class. Not according to salvatore condoluci, 92, who in 1935 claimed to have caught and killed an. Louis camacho heard a loud hissing noise while checking his. We now rinse packaging out, rather than letting food scraps go to landfill. However, it wasnt until the publication of robert dalys 1959 book the w. Aug 12, 2014 but there are reasons to believe that sewer rats are getting bigger, thanks, perhaps unexpectedly, to an increase in recycling. And no matter that the man interviewed in a 1959 book, the world beneath the city, about his campaign to clean out all the gators from the system had never been sewer commissioner.
It was surprisingly big, measuring almost eight feet long and weighing 125 pounds. To learn more about how you can help protect our sewer system and local waterways, visit safe disposal of harmful products. In robert daley s book the world beneath the city 1959 he comments that one night a sewer worker in new york city was shocked to find a large albino alligator swimming toward him. Dissenters view them as urban legends, though many alligators have been discovered. Its long been rumored there are thriving colonies of alligators lurking in new york city. Alligators in the sewer, a comprehensive collection of urban legends, compiles hundreds of thse wild and entertaining tales. Sewer alligators are said to be alligators living in the sewers. The book was published back in 1999 and a lot of the legends within have been republished many times on both the internet and in other later published urban legend books. Also tv programs such as myth busters have debunked some of these such as the scuba diver in the forest fire. The book behind the seweralligator legend the new york times.
Big al, a villain introduced the sewer of doom story of eman, is a talking, cigarsmoking, albino sewer gator who wants to conquer the world in the name of reptilekind. Florida man finds alligator hissing in the sewer outside his. Alligators in the sewer is a collection of 223 urban legends. But there are reasons to believe that sewer rats are getting bigger, thanks, perhaps unexpectedly, to an increase in recycling. New york citys former superintendent of sewers teddy may talked about undergoing subterranean expeditions to root out the alligator problem. From such an inglorious beginning, these discarded gators grow to immense size and daily terrorize all those foolish enough to risk a visit to the bowels of the city. The nyc department of environmental protection oversees the citys massive sewer system, employing about 6,000 people. But dont spend to much time in the new york city sewers. Nov 23, 2009 these stories were backed by scattered reports, mostly very old, of alligators living in sewer systems that appeared in papers around the country, including atlanta, dallas and newark. The seminal new york city sewer gator event came on feb. The earliest published reference to alligators in the sewer in what jan harold brunvand refers to as the standardized form of the urban legend baby alligator pets, flushed, thrived in sewers can be found in the 1959 book, the world beneath the city, a history of public utilities in new york city written by robert daley. In 1935 an alligator crawled out of a manhole in harlem and was promptly beaten to death feb. I grew up hearing tales of huge alligators that supposedly cruised the sewers of nyc, warmed by the steamy air and gorging on rats, roaches and garbage. We loved this book so much as kids growing up in nyc.
Urban legend holds that there have been several cases of people releasing or losing their pet alligators in the sewer, where they have supposedly grown. May, former superintendent of sewers for new york city, took it. One reader of the site though, claims he had the weirdest thanksgiving of them all, coming across one of new york citys fabled sewer alligators swimming around the east river, just outside of east river state park. In the popular view, alligators in sewers are a significant problem in large cities with older, larger sewer systems, particularly where storm water enters the system. Its perhaps the most famous account of a sewer alligator living in new york city. Oct 23, 2009 i grew up hearing tales of huge alligators that supposedly cruised the sewers of nyc, warmed by the steamy air and gorging on rats, roaches and garbage. Despite these few, very scattered examples, its a myth. Are the alligators in new york city sewers just an urban legend. Aug 23, 2010 at least one alligator really does live in new york citys sewers. Alligators in the sewers are neither rumor, folktale nor myth, but a real part of the modern urban underground netherworld. This supposedly provides a source of water which has similar qualities to the florida everglades, a prime alligator habitat. Dec 25, 2017 if you ever visit new york city, you might hear tales about alligators let loose in the sewers.
Alligators dont live very well in a sewer environment. Alligator is a 1980 american monster horror film directed by lewis teague and written by john sayles. Each person can help our wastewater treatment system run better by conserving water, disposing of garbage and household chemicals properly and being concerned about water quality in the new york citys waterways. In the account, may explained that alligators had been sighted in the sewers since 1935 by sewer workers, but no one took such reports seriously at first. Teddy may had rid new york city of its alligators in the sewersor so he thought. I found the first such newspaper article, from 1907. They are often thought to be pets released into the sewer due to them growing too large. Not according to salvatore condoluci, 92, who in 1935 claimed to have caught and killed an 8footlong gator in a sewer on 123rd. In the 1950s and 60s, huge numbers of baby spectacled caimans caiman crocodylus, dubbed alligators, were sold to tourists visiting florida. The most common story is that the alligators survive and reside within the sewer and reproduce, feeding on rats and garbage, growing to huge sizes and striking fear into sewer workers. Jul 22, 2008 in 1935, teddy may, the superintendent of sewers of new york city, discovered that there was a large alligator population living in the sewer system. If you ever visit new york city, you might hear tales about alligators let loose in the sewers. A thriving colony of large alligators lives deep within the bowels of the new york city sewer system.
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