Johnny Ramensky: The Gentleman Safecracker and Great Escapist

The path to cracking an escape room is to use your wits, employing logic to figure out passwords and codes and locks. This is what will take you down the breadcrumb trail to escape game success. But out in the real world, sometimes beating a series of locks needs a much more physical approach. That’s where safecrackers come in.

Though a staple character in heist movies, safecrackers aren’t always necessarily bad guys. Sometimes people just forget the combinations to their super high-security safes—and someone needs to rescue those precious jewels from an eternity spent in a little metal box. But, it’s true: a safecracker, otherwise known as a peterman, is often up to no good.

Then there’s the peculiar case of Johnny Ramensky, perhaps the most famous safecracker that's ever lived. He even has his own folk song:

Ramensky was a Scottish safecracker who used his skills for both good and not-so-good. Born in 1905 and raised in a rough area of Glasgow, Scotland, the young Ramensky’s first work experience came as a coal miner—which is when he first came into contact with dynamite.

Explosives would be a key component to Ramensky’s future career: cat burglar. Using his knowledge of dynamite in combination with some serious ninja-like dexterity, Ramensky quickly became known as an expert safecracker. He also became known as a non-violent gentleman thief, who also never robbed individuals but only businesses, earning him the nickname “Gentle Johnny.”

His life of crime led to many years spent in prison—which he broke out of no less than five times, thanks to his skill at lock picking

However, when World War II arose, the use of Ramensky’s particular set of skills changed.

In 1943, after being released from prison, he joined the army, where he turned his abilities into an asset for the Allies. Over the remaining years of the war, Ramensky acted as a safecracking commando, who would often parachute behind enemy lines to retrieve vital documents. Now, in addition to being known as one of the best safecrackers in history, Ramensky is also a legendary Scottish war hero.

Not bad for one lifetime.

Following the end of the war, Ramensky returned to his life of crime, leading to a total of 45 years spent behind bars. He died in Perth Prison in 1972.

Though we don’t have any explosives or stethoscopes for you to use, you can get a taste of the safecracker life by taking on the challenge of one of Krait’s four Vancouver escape rooms. Book here.