Safecracker: A Chronicle of the Coolest Job in the World

by Dave McOmie, Marc Goldberg (Foreword by)

Overview

Like a character in a Hitchcock movie, Dave McOmie travels the country breaking into bank vaults, cracking jewelry store safes, and decoding unbreakable codes secured deep in government facilities. He’s never been arrested or charged with a crime—because it’s his job!

Safecracker reveals a shadowy world where tumblers are twirled, skeletons are exposed, and longstanding mysteries are solved. You’ll ride shotgun with Dave for one crazy week, beginning with an impenetrable vault in Vegas with a midnight deadline, and ending with Prince’s ultra-secure music vault in the basement of Paisley Park. In between are factual stories that read like fiction: drilling the same model ATM from the notorious episode of Breaking Bad, meeting a mystery man from the Department of Defense at a remote location to crack two high-security safes, chronicling the corruption and ineptitude that dogged efforts to develop the first electronic safe lock to guard our national secrets, tackling a hundred-year-old antique bank vault in downtown Salt Lake City, and more.

What’s in all these safes and vaults? Gold and silver, drugs and cash, guns and ammo, family heirlooms and X-rated paraphernalia . . . and a few secrets that should have remained secret.

Shhhhh!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493058518
Publisher:	Globe Pequot Publishing
Publication date:	07/01/2021
Pages:	248
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Dave McOmie is editor-at-large at The International Safecracker and a member of the Safe & Vault Technicians Hall of Fame. He holds a master’s degree in philosophy from the University of Washington and resides in the Evergreen State with his wife and children.

Table of Contents

Foreword ix

Author's Note xiii

Monday 1

Chapter 1 The Call from Vegas 3

Chapter 2 Your Host 8

Chapter 3 From Airport to Airport 12

Chapter 4 Hitch and the Vault 20

Chapter 5 The Italian Job 28

Tuesday 31

Chapter 6 Good Morning 33

Chapter 7 Alberto and the ATM 38

Chapter 8 Temptation 42

Chapter 9 Inverted Motherlodes 47

Chapter 10 The Bumble Bee Safe 51

Wednesday 59

Chapter 11 Bank of America's Untutored Tenet 61

Chapter 12 A Chartered Flight 66

Chapter 13 At the Estate: Two Tough Safes 70

Chapter 14 Saying Goodbye to Mr. Corey 80

Thursday 87

Chapter 15 Morning Potpourri 89

Chapter 16 The Air National Guard 93

Chapter 17 The Great Lock Debacle 97

Chapter 18 Opening the Armory Vault 111

Chapter 19 Dad and Morty 113

Friday 119

Chapter 20 Pinky Swear 121

Chapter 21 Robert and the Full Automatic 125

Chapter 22 Skip's Maxim 131

Chapter 23 Plan A and Plan B 136

Chapter 24 Plan C: The Clock Is Ticking 143

Saturday 153

Chapter 25 Treat Time 155

Chapter 26 Jackpot! 158

Chapter 27 Penetration Parties 163

Chapter 28 Three Species of Luck 167

Chapter 29 BOMB! and Miscellany 175

Chapter 30 Thinking about Tomorrow 183

Sunday 185

Chapter 31 Paisley Park 187

Chapter 32 The Mousetrap Relocker 195

Chapter 33 Drilling the Vault 199

Chapter 34 Inside the Vault 205

Chapter 35 Coda 211

Postscript 215

Acknowledgments 219

Notes 221

Index 229

About the Author 233

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

When we needed to consult a safecracker for one of our movies, Dave McOmie was the obvious choice. His expertise and wit were matched only by his fantastic stories: drilling the Vegas vault (like Ocean’s Eleven but real!), cracking special safes for the government, opening the late Prince’s bank vault at Paisley Park, and more. These adventures form the core of Safecracker, a fun and fascinating memoir that breaks new ground in the genre — there isn’t anything remotely like it. — Adam Yorke, Head of Development, Wildling Pictures If Jobs and Wozniak had combined their DNA into one person with a passion for safes rather than computers, the result would have been (something very much like) Dave McOmie. Dave is as comfortable with abstract concepts as he is with concrete details, and his innovative safecracking classes have long been the industry gold standard. He is a living legend, and Safecracker is hands-down his best book. — Rick Rolland, Chief Executive Officer, Rolland Safe Co., Inc. Ask professional safecrackers who they want in their corner on a tough safe or vault, and they’ll answer in unison: “Dave McOmie.” Dave’s knowledge of his arcane craft is unrivaled, and Safecracker is your backstage pass into the shrouded, whispery world he inhabits. — Martin Holloway, covert entry specialist and President, Hollotec The weight of all the drill bits Dave McOmie has used in his long and storied career would sink the Titanic. He’s a monster. He’s also the most prolific author in the field. But in Safecracker, Dave has outdone himself. You’ll root for him when the pressure is on, cheer at each victory, and cross your fingers for a sequel! — Jeff Volosing, President, StrongArm Inc. Advance praise for the author: Dave McOmie’s books and articles line the shelves of almost every lock and safe shop in the country. Whether he's drilling a bank vault, opening a secret safe on a covert op, or teaching Burt Reynolds how to crack safes for a movie, Dave’s adventures have informed and entertained working professionals for decades. Talented wordsmiths are rare, master safecrackers even rarer. Dave is both. — Lance Mayhew, Ada County Lock and Safe, Idaho There are givers and takers in this world. Dave McOmie is a giver. He has trained several generations of field technicians, and quite literally wrote the books that the rest of us rely on every day. The truth is, most of us wouldn’t be where we are without him. — C.D. Lipscomb, Navco Safe & Lock, Texas Dave’s books and articles jump-started my interest in safes and vaults. Attending one of his famed Penetration Parties was like playing in a football game with Vince Lombardi coaching. Unforgettable. — Michael Jennings, Solid Lock and Safe, Louisiana Other than my father, Dave McOmie was the single greatest influence on my career as a safe and vault technician. His willingness to share information and his ability to teach are unparalleled. — Michael McElheney, McElheney Locksmiths, Ohio When your vault is locked, don’t go off half-cocked: Call Dave! — Rusty Bramblett, Bramblett Locksmith, Florida Generous with his knowledge and intensely loyal to his industry colleagues, Dave McOmie is the go-to guy when a tough safe or vault is reluctant to reveal its secrets. — T. A. Martin, Antique Safes, Wisconsin Dave McOmie’s dedication to his craft and his fellow safecrackers is matchless. There isn’t anyone quite like the master. — Scott Clark, S.G. Clark Safe Services, New York Every industry has its hero and mentor. In the safe and vault world, we have Dave McOmie. — W. Scott Maness, Blair and Sons Locksmith, Alabama Dave has been the single biggest influence on my career as a professional safe technician. He’s always willing to help, and I‘m eternally grateful for it. — Walt Peterson, Floyd Security, Minnesota If you are in the business of opening safes and vault, Dave is the guy you want to know. — Ernie Lay, BranchServ, North Carolina If it weren’t for Dave, I wouldn’t be the safecracker I am today. Virtually everyone in the trade today can say the same thing. — James Green, Peifer Lock, Tennessee Dave's depth of knowledge on safes and vaults is peerless. He’s truly one of a kind. — J. Drew Van Deventer, Alpine Safe and Lock, Florida Many years ago, I met Dave McOmie at a convention, but he was so low key I didn’t know who he was. I told him safecracking was pretty simple now that some guy is writing technical books on the subject. My father later pointed out that the guy I was talking to was the author of those very books. — Jacob Feinberg, Carl’s Locksmith Service, Massachusetts  When you need a hand, Dave’s the man! — Jerry Kruss, Certified Lock & Safe, California Dave McOmie is the authority on safes and vaults. Period. He’s also a great guy, and I’m proud to call him a friend." — Jim Wiedman, President, Associated Locksmiths of America Dave McOmie’s books and classes have advanced the skills of thousands of safe and vault technicians around the globe. No other person has had a greater impact on the industry. — Mike Potter, President, Safe and Vault Technicians Association