There's an old saying: If it's deeper than a grave, the sandhogs dug it. Starting with their first job in 1872, the Brooklyn Bridge, the "hogs" have built a large part of the city of New York; the subways and sewer, Water Tunnel #1 & #2, the Lincoln, Holland, Queens-Midtown, and Brooklyn-Battery tunnels to name a few, as well as the foundations for most of the bridges and many of the skyscrapers in the city.

In addition to Water Tunnel #3, the hogs are currently working on the East Side Access project, the extension of the #7 and creation of the Second Avenue subway lines. Since their work is mostly done below street level, in an unseen world of rock, sand, and earth, recognition of their achievements has been limited.

The sandhogs are diverse in backgrounds, interests, and personalities, but unified in their dedication, perseverance, and camaraderie. As John Roche describes his fellow hogs, "We're like an underground fraternity, a family." Sandhoging is a tradition and is passed down through generations of families. Especially since mining projects span decades, it is not uncommon to find multi-generations of families working together on the same job.