Don't mess with the Alligators (unless you are a Cajun)

the joke about alligators in the sewers of NYCity refers to an urban legend.

This urban legend claims that alligators have been living underneath the bustling streets, having been flushed down toilets as unwanted pets and growing to monstrous sizes in the damp labyrinth below. Despite its persistence in popular culture, thorough investigations and urban research have consistently disproved the existence of sewer alligators. The New York City sewer system, while vast and complex, has not provided any concrete evidence of an alligator population within its confines.

there is even a statue to commemorate this urban legend in Union Square Park there.

here local news discusses:

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this urban legend is found in various short stories and novels, but the saddest reference to the alligator in the sewer myth is Harlan Ellison's story Croataon:

which is about our throw away culture, regrets, and maybe hope at the end: where pet alligators and unwanted fetuses are thrown away carelessly but found later by the antagonist:

And the light came nearer, and the light was many lights. Torches, held aloft by the children who rode the alligators.

audio link but donot say I didn't warn you