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Joseph Ancona, 20, apparently tried to board a southbound No. 1 train when his clothing got caught in a subway door at the station off 59th Street around 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 24, city police said.
“The victim was then dragged and struck by [another] train,” the NYPD reported.
Ancona was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
It wasn't clear whether the conductor was aware of what was happening or why the doors didn't automatically open.
Ancona's twin sister, Gianna, shared posts on Instagram that included a series of photos of them over the years accompanied by the song 'Big Black Car' by Gregory Alan Isakov.
"There is a half of me that is missing that could never be replaced. There will never be enough words or pictures in the world that will help me show how beautiful of a soul you are," she wrote.
'Your nickname at work was smiley for a reason," Gianna added. "You brought so much laughter and light into this world, an energy that could never be replaced.
'You taught me so much, and because of you i will forever be a better person. I love you unconditionally."
Ancona, who worked as an electrician and stagehand at the Metropolitan Opera in Manhattan, "was loved by so many," his family reportedly said in a statement. "[W]e want him to continue being remembered as the amazing man he was.
"We thank everybody for their prayers and condolences and thank you for thinking of our family in this difficult time."
Ancona was a recent graduate of Westwood Regional High School, where he played on the golf team. He was active in several sports, including baseball.
He worked in the electrical construction shop at the Met, according to Managing Director Peter Gelb.
"Joe joined the Met last March and was respected and well-liked by his fellow crew members," Gelb wrote. "Please join me in offering condolences to his family and friends."
NYC Transit President Richard Davey called it a "terrible accident."
He expressed condolences to "[the victim's] family, the train operator and rider who witnessed this tragedy" and promised an investigation will "get to the cause."
Meanwhile, two family friends of Gianna's launched a GoFundMe campaign to help pay funeral expenses.
"This tragedy has influenced her family, friends, and community immensely," Mackenzie Vreeland wrote on the page she and Danielle Chenoweth created. "There are no words to describe the pain everyone is going through."
SEE: Ancona Family
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