When Mission Local visited the former headquarters of longtime San Francisco permit expediter Walter Wong, the team discovered a hidden antique safe behind a wooden panel beneath a staircase. The building, now owned by adult‑film company Kink.com, was the site of a federal tip that led the FBI to investigate.
FBI involvement and safe opening
With the owners’ permission, FBI agents arrived on Tuesday accompanied by a certified master safe‑cracker. The safe, an L. H. Miller model likely over a century old, was opened quickly after the specialist drilled into its mechanism and used scopes and mirrors to manipulate the combination lock from within.
Agents confirmed the safe’s interior remained largely unchanged from its original construction, featuring crimson patterned carpeting and wooden drawers. Inside, however, were only a few Post‑It notes with scribbles, described by onlookers as “nothing much.”
Background on Walter Wong
Wong pleaded guilty in 2020 to a federal kickback scheme that siphoned $1.5 million from the Chinatown Hilton and cooperated with authorities against former allies, including ex‑Public Utilities Commission General Manager Harlan Kelly. For decades, he was known as the city’s premier “permit expediter,” leveraging his influence within the building department.
The discovery of the safe adds another curious chapter to Wong’s legacy, though the FBI’s search yielded only trivial contents. Observers noted the agents were “extremely agreeable,” and Kink.com staff later invited the agents to tour the building’s secret floor, dubbed “floor 2.5.”
Community reaction
Local residents and journalists were not allowed inside during the operation, but Mission Local obtained photographs and statements from witnesses. The safe‑cracker’s expertise impressed onlookers, and the incident underscores ongoing interest in the mysterious past of Wong’s former empire.
Original reporting: Mission Local — read the source article.
