The two Frankies, as they were known amongst their NYPD colleagues, patrolled the subways as bait — flashing off fat dookie chains nestled in a forest of chest hair — hoping to become the next victims of a growing citywide plague that the MTA officially dubbed, "Chain-Snatching Season."

Before joining the NYPD, they came from blue and brown collar jobs. 32-year-old Maddalena was an oil burner repairman, and 40-year-old Pastore had served in the Marine Corps. The latter had picked up tattoos that were now faded and blurry — in stark contrast to the glistening pinky ring he wore that looked like a replica of his police badge.

Although they were bait, Maddalena and Pastore referred to themselves as "The Hunters" — scoping out potential targets from the "hit seat" nearest the doors — amidst crowded subway cars where ghetto blasters pumped out rap tunes, and opportunistic salesman sold loose joints along various stops throughout Bed-Stuy.

"I like to act as if I'm a little drunk, talk to myself, hiccup, roll my eyes and even pretend to fall asleep," Maddalena continued. "If I'm not convincing they'll think I'm still sober enough to put up a fight and what will scare them off too. But, if I have got it just right, if I've played them properly, the grab is on and we've got them."

The transit police Mobile Task Force, as they were officially known in the NYPD, began its full-time work combatting chain-snatching crimes in April 1980 after it became the number one felony reported during subway transit. By October, police were reporting nine snatching a day on the subways, and 45 above ground.

As a result, Mayor Ed Koch urged New Yorkers not to wear gold chains, and endorsed a five percent fare increase on the subway to attempt to "price out" those who might be riding the train for nefarious purposes. But the crime statistics remained grim; between 1980-1981, subway violence only increased as chain-snatching rose 17 percent increase on the city's 230 miles of subway.

For would-be criminals in the early '80s, the allure of chain-snatching was aided by the ease in which stolen merchandise could be fenced at locations ranging from storefronts in the diamond district on W. 47th Street, to pizza parlors. While New York City license law indicated that written records be kept for every purchase or sale of a second-hand article, many business didn't abide by this law.

Simultaneously, gold prices rose 23% in 1977, 37% in 1978, and an incredible 126% in 1979. By 1980, gold was selling on the secondary market for $700 an ounce. Whereas a pilfered pocketbook might turn up a few wrinkled dollar bills, a thief was assured at least a several-hundred-dollar payday if the stolen chain was actually gold.

In May 1981, the MTA rolled out an official campaign rallying against chain theft. The radio, print, and TV adds warned, "You think they look attractive, right?! So do other people; people who steal."

While Mayor Koch discouraged riders from wearing jewelry completely, the MTA suggested that their riders tuck in their chains, or turn rings around so that the stones didn't show. With summer approaching, they warned of the dangers of short sleeves and "open-collar season," and how the 2,600 transit cops simply couldn't keep the 3.5 million daily riders safe at all times.

"We could have done something Mickey Mouse cutesy," said MTA marketing director Susan Berman. "But this is not a popularity contest. The truth is, people are well aware that safety is a general urban problem and the retention level is better when he address the problem head on."

On September 21 1984, a chain-snatching incident put a national spotlight on the crime when Officer Irma “Fran” Lozada was shot twice in the head in an abandoned lot after chasing a chain-snatching suspect from the Wilson Avenue stop on the L subway line in Brooklyn. Lozada was the first female NYPD officer to be killed in the line of duty; splayed around her were her opened handcuffs, badge, and the gold necklace.

The introduction of crack cocaine in 1985, and Hip-Hop culture's rising popularity in the late '80s, only added to the prevalence of chain-snatching season. Drug addicts saw jewelry as a quick means to feed their habits, while consumers of the music — who admired the aspirational album covers like Eric B & Rakim's Paid in Full — turned to committing robberies to emulate their would-be-heroes.

This recipe made concerts fertile ground for chain-snatching robberies. Whereas a New York subway car could comfortably fit 50 people, a concert venue could pack in tens of thousands.

On September 10, 1988, 10,000 fans gathered at New York’s Nassau Coliseum for the "Jam 88" concert featuring Eric B. and Rakim, Kool Moe Dee, Doug E. Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew, Big Daddy Kane, Boogie Down Productions, and Biz Markie.

While trying to recover a stolen gold chain taken from his girlfriend's neck, Julio Fuentes was stabbed to death. Although Fuentes was the only fatality, he was one of 10 jewelry-fueled acts of violence that night — prompting the press to investigate if Hip-Hip encouraged violence. A month prior, two stabbings had occurred at the same venue during a Run-DMC show.

By 1991, serious crimes in the subway had decreased by 15 percent. The biggest decline was grand larceny which was down 23 percent. Transit police cited that the additional 200 officers that had been deployed used an aggressive arrest policy for minor crimes which contributed to the result. Specifically, that one our of every seven fare evaders turned out to be wanted for arrest in conjunction with another crime.

There was a cultural shift happening as well. After witnessing the devastating effects of crack cocaine on communities, both addicts and dealers were reevaluating their relationship with the narcotic. Felony suspects arrested in New York City tested positive for cocaine at an 83 percent rate in 1988. By 1990, that number was now 58 percent.

The '90s brought new aspirational items — specifically high-priced sneakers like Jordans — which became new sartorial targets. In 1990, The New York Times ran a feature under the headline, "The Murders Over the Sneakers" which coincided with Sports Illustrated's cover titled, "Your Sneakers or Your Life."

Contemporary examples of chain-snatching evoke memories of '80s New York City gang wars where gang ephemera (vests and jackets) taken off a rival served as the ultimate show of force. Now, the allure isn't the price of the item, but more so, how a person can exert dominance over their high-profile victim — often utilizing social media to fan the flames. The once victimized little old lady on the train, has been replaced with the burgeoning rapper who sees his credibility challenged when his chain is taken.