They had to have help from the outside.
The work to make the escape route was done from the outside. This was a break-IN, not a break-out. Probably a contractor did it as soon as the steam heat was turned off for the summer. Only a contractor could get away with making that much noise. It was done during the day while other routine maintenance was being done on the heating system. The very last cuts were made the night these guys escaped. Somebody in a car was waiting for them near the manhole.
The escapee who is supposed to be the 'lady killer' made sure to flirt with the female employee. That way the finger of suspicion would point toward her, giving them more time to cover their tracks.
A woman didn't engineer this break-in. It was somebody with a lot of resources who wants this guy out for a reason. The other guy had to join him, otherwise they'd make him an accomplice for not reporting any noise.