John Barelli spent thirty-eight years working in the Security Department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (1978-82 Assistant Manager of Security; 82-86 Associate Manager of Security (2nd in charge); 86-2001 Head of the Security Department; 01-16 Chief Security Officer). For more than thirty years he was the individual who ran all security operations and formed and developed the department as a leader in museum security throughout the world (his purview also included The Met Cloisters and The Met Breuer Museum). He holds an MA in Criminal Justice and a PhD in Criminology. He lives with his wife, Anna, in New York City. They met at the Met.