[quote=mdk]
That's against labor laws in the state of New York, unless it's changed in the last ten years. Minimum age for gainful employment is 16 with a work permit, normally 18.
[/quote]

They have changed. My brother has a job and he's only 15, but even a lot of people around here don't realize that it is indeed legal to work under the age of 16, probably because it's just really uncommon since people don't often hire anyone younger than 16 for a variety of reasons.