Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
What Happened To Video Of "Drunk" Sanitation Workers?
By
Jaya Saxena
Published Jan 4, 2011
Modified Jan 4, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jaya Saxena
Published Jan 4, 2011
Modified Jan 4, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Over the weekend, the Department of Investigation began a probe into allegations that Sanitation Workers not only staged a slowdown, but that some were drinking on the job when they should have been plowing the streets. Witnesses say a few workers bought beer at a Brooklyn bodega, and according to the Post, "DOI investigators immediately responded." However, once they went to retrieve a surveillance video of the incident, they found it had been mysteriously "overridden."
The workers allegedly walked into Ocean Mini Mart on 18th Avenue on the evening of December 26th and bought six packs of Corona Light and Heineken Light, and were then hanging out outside and laughing. They then allegedly spent the night in their Sanitation vehicle with the heat on, and returned to the bodega in the morning to call their bosses and claim they ran out of gas. Investigators are currently "taking steps to reconstruct [the video]...and are attempting to identify the sanitation workers." Perhaps the Sanitation workers erased it because they were too ashamed at being caught buying light beer?
Meanwhile, there is more anecdotal evidence that the Sanitation slowdown was very much planned. Commenter whitecastlerock told us what happened on his Astoria block on December 28th:
I left my apartment to run an errand, when I came back 15 minutes later, a whole convoy of sanitation trucks were lined up behind there fallen comrade-like a chain of mechanical elephants. Some of the locals were milling about while the sanitation crew stared at the stuck plow in dismay. They were trying to remove it from the truck itself. There was plenty of cursing and swearing. The other trucks just sat there doing nothing. 4 out of the 5 idling trucks did nothing-the crew remained inside. One of the other trucks was trying to aid with the plow removal. A local was also attempting to shovel out the back wheels of the stuck truck.
I went back upstairs and kept hearing curses-around 11:30ish I heard a loud "FUCK YEAH!" with some hooting and hollering. Eventually the trucks backed up and drove off-leaving the wounded truck to fend for itself. It went in reverse and forward-finally freeing itself around 12:15. Would I classify this as a slowdown? Not really sure, but I failed to see the logic in all of those trucks just standing there doing nothing-considering 31st Ave and others were in shambles.
Uniformed Sanitationmen's Association head Harry Nespoli has repeatedly said there was no slowdown, and told Good Day New York, "This workforce does not turn around and jeopardize the safety of the people in New York City. We perform under snow. We always have been and we are going to do the best we possibly can now to pick up this garbage."
Tagged
department of investigation
drunk workers
sanitation slowdown
surveillance video
Jaya Saxena
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NYC Council takes key step toward Mamdani's promised Department of Community Safety
Lawmakers on Friday debate a bill that would create the new department.
By
Ben Feuerherd
Published Oct 30, 2026 at 7:30 a.m. ET
NY progressives have found a way to vote for Hochul, with an asterisk
Progressives are following Mayor Mamdani’s lead and voting for Gov. Hochul, a moderate Democrat, on the Working Families Party ballot line.
By
Walter Wuthmann
News
NY progressives have found a way to vote for Hochul, with an asterisk
Progressives are following Mayor Mamdani’s lead and voting for Gov. Hochul, a moderate Democrat, on the Working Families Party ballot line.
By
Walter Wuthmann
Can you eat the mushrooms growing out of your bathroom ceiling?
By
Rosemary Misdary
Bronx community hosts vigil for boy killed in e-bike fire
By
Carol Chen
8 people charged in $7M SNAP benefit fraud scheme
By
Giulia Heyward
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .