QUOTE
Gary, are you going to post a video of the correct procedure that worked for you?
Ha! You have such a great
Sense of Humor 
I think it was the serrated 6" blade I came to be using.
It's funny, I started with a strong, big paperclip, like in the old days, and then graduating through tools of intensity until I end up stabbing, carefully. Weird.
I don't find not having a CD/DVD player on the 27" iMac. I can't remember the last time I used it.