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Pint-sized peddlers as young as 11 are among the dozens of illegal vendors hawking goods on the Brooklyn Bridge — bumping even licensed military vets.
“They are everywhere,” one stunned tourist told The Post.
At least three dozen unlicensed vendors clogged the Big Apple span Monday to sell fruit, snacks, water, toys and other assorted goods — with many lugging their tiny children along or leaving their youngsters on their own to target passersby and tourists in the underground market.
One boy, 11-year-old Sergio, said he makes anywhere from $100 to $300 every day, typically putting in eight hours four days a week, with his mom selling hats nearby.
He said he emigrated from Ecuador with his family in 2021.
Another boy, who said he’s 12 years old, was selling fruit for $5 a pop. Asked where his mom was, he claimed she went to the bathroom — but the boy remained alone.
“It’s a bit awkward,” Jennifer Thompson, a 53-year-old tourist from Virginia who bought two canvas bags for $10. “I kinda wish it was an adult, but I don’t know their circumstances.”
“I was wondering where their parents are at,” her husband, Larry Thompson, 52, chimed in.
The illicit vendors — many of them immigrants — have been a nuisance on the historic bridge for years. By 2023, the span was jammed with so many peddlers that one frustrated local described it as a “disgusting, mile-long souvenir shop and flea market.”
The vendors were booted in a sweep ordered by former Mayor Eric Adams in 2024.
But the unsightly outdoor market returned, and has been left to prosper by Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
The Post spotted at least 42 of the illegal vendors on the bridge on Sunday, with the merchandise mostly spread out on blankets. Nearby, folks of varying ages managed the sales.
Older children were left alone to oversee the transactions, while nearby adults sat next to kids as young as 4 or 5 years old.
The unruly scene has irked local residents and legit vendors, including military veterans trying to make ends meet.
Sammy, a vet and licensed ice cream vendor slinging the cold treat near the bridge, said the city rarely cracks down on the illegal peddlers, and when cops issue tickets, it’s typically a fine of $50 or less — a fraction of the money they make.
“Us being disabled veterans and having a license means nothing over there now because if I go over there, they’re going to kick me out,” he griped. “But they’re not kicking [the illegal vendors] out now.”
English (US)