Portraits

Uniformed Sanitation workers are a ubiquitous sight on the streets of New York City, removing the thousands of tons of garbage and recycling that residents and visitors discard every single day. But behind their valiant efforts stand an additional army of civilian support staff. These are the mechanics, welders, electricians, carpenters, and clerical aids that keep the world’s largest Sanitation Department running smoothly and efficiently.

While all of our city’s uniformed agencies have their official monikers, i.e. “New York’s Finest” (Police) “New York’s Boldest” (Corrections) “New York’s Bravest” (Fire), I firmly believe that the men and women of the Department of Sanitation (New York’s Strongest) are also the most heroic, and the best looking.

These portraits are my tribute to them.

Snow

DSNY is truly the “first of the first responders.” During major snow storms, Sanitation workers go on 12-hour shifts to keep the roads and streets open. Without their herculean efforts, police, fire, and ambulance vehicles can’t accomplish their missions.

Ceremonies

Mostly joyous, as when a new class of Sanitation workers is sworn in to begin their careers, or annual events like St. Patrick’s Day, there are also times of sorrow. When a Sanitation worker falls in the line of duty (a not uncommon occurrence), the Department turns out en masse to see the departed off in a solemn and affectionate farewell.

Hurricane Relief - Sandy and Maria

When Sandy hit New York City in late October of 2012, whole neighborhoods were devastated, including many that were the homes of NYC Sanitation workers.

Putting personal grief aside, they reported for duty and set about the task of removing an unimaginable amount of debris.

While standard procedure is for Sanitation workers to permanently remove refuse immediately, the sheer volume from Sandy made that impossible. Assessing the situation, then-Sanitation Commissioner John Doherty ordered his troops to “throw out the book,” and thus a series of “short dumps” were created. Get the debris out of the streets and yards, and store it for later disposal. The parking lot of Jacob Riis Park was one such location.

When Hurricane Maria tore through Puerto Rico five years later, DSNY put out a call for volunteers from within the department to travel to the island to assist in the cleanup. While there were certain criteria such as heavy machinery experience, large-scale debris management, ability to drive a standard transmission truck, and proficiency in Spanish, over one thousand members volunteered.

31 were selected, and their original two-week deployment was extended at the request of Puerto Rico’s Governor.

These photos document their courageous departure and heroic return.

COVID-19 Collections

When the pandemic first hit New York early in 2020, the city appeared to be a ghost town. Yet garbage and recycling still showed up on the curbs and corner litter baskets still filled up.

Roll call was moved from 6:00AM to an hour earlier so as to limit contact with the public, and when the advice to wear masks came out, these were distributed and worn.

Over 700 members of the Department tested positive. Most recovered and returned to work, but tragically several passed on.

Facilities

While everyone wants their garbage to be picked up, no one wants a Sanitation facility in their neighborhood. Local opposition is often stiff and well-funded, and yet when the structure is finally built and in use, the usual reaction is, “oh, it’s actually fine.”

Here are some of the newest garages and Marine Transfer Stations.

Incinerators

There was a time when trash was burned or buried in massive landfills within the five boroughs.

While some of the incinerators have been torn down, and others are off limits due to asbestos abatement, the massive smoke stacks of some are still visible.

This is my appreciation, both artistic and documentary, of these largely forgotten structures.

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