A task force appointed by Gov. Cuomo a year ago to enforce labor laws has recovered nearly $4 million in back wages and damages for more than 7,500 workers, officials said Wednesday.

The Task Force to Combat Worker Exploitation went after 1,547 companies, particularly those that employ immigrants in low-wage industries, such as nail salons, restaurants and landscaping.

At a press conference at the Javits Center in Midtown, the governor recalled the hardships endured by his immigrant grandfather, who dug ditches as a teenager to support his family.

Cuomo said his granddad had to ride in the back of a dump truck in the winter without a coat, while the owner rode in front.

“My grandfather would say, ‘He treated me worse than a dog,’ and he would cry,” Cuomo recalled.

He was joined at the press conference by two workers from the Empire Szechuan Valley Restaurant on the Upper West Side.

They and four of their co-workers were not correctly paid for overtime hours. The task force negotiated a settlement for the six workers for $204,500.