On February 9th, 1935, three boys in East Harlem were shoveling snow into a storm sewer

when they heard the sound of mad splashing.

16 year old Salvatore, the bravest of the boys, ran home to grab a clothesline.

Returning to the sewer, Salvatore tied the line around his waist and asked

his friends to lower him into the dark chamber.

Greeting him below was a monster.

Staring back at Salvatore was an eight foot alligator.

Panicked but exhilarated, Salvatore lassed the animal,

wrapping the clothesline around the reptile's neck,

and yelled for his friends to lift him up to the street.

Once back up on the street, the boys tugged at the clothesline, and with great effort, managed to pull the live alligator up from the sewer.

The gator eyed the boys, and then started snapping fiercely at them.

The boys grabbed their snow shovels and started to beat him.

One blow to the alligator's head after another, until at last the animal was dead.

A photograph appeared in the New York Daily News

the following day, with the boys posing

with a dead animal, all 125 pounds of it.

According to the article that ran in the New York Times,

quote, speculation as to where the gator has come from was rife.

There are no pet shops in the vicinity.

That theory was ruled out almost at once.

Finally, the theories simmered down to that of a passing boat.

...