[1] To complete the lineup, they recruited the Skinnerbox rhythm section of Anna Milat-Meyer on bass and James Blanck on drums, as well as guitar player, Nick Bacon of The Erratics.
The band released one demo tape and played many New York City area shows[citation needed] before self-releasing their debut self-titled album in 1998.
On December 9, 2001, Nobile, Barc and Karcich, joined with Spring Heeled Jack guitarist, Mike Pellegrino to perform as Cenzo for a Ska For Youth benefit show to raise money for the Twin Tower Orphan Fund after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center.
During a performance by Cenzo, Nobile and Barc welcomed Coolie Ranx and Nick Bacon onstage for a brief Pilfers reunion.
Pilfers performed for a Haiti benefit concert at the Knitting Factory on April 23, 2010, with Karen Gibson Roc, Tsunami Rising, and Across The Aisle.
Writing for AllMusic Curtis Zimmermann described the 1998 debut, Pilfers, as "... an intense hybrid of ska, hardcore, and hip-hop that comes out sounding drastically different from many of the groups contemporaries ..." and as a "ground-breaking album" for the genre.