BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — An icon in the local sports scene is thankful to have a cherished painting back, less than a week after it was stolen.
93 year old Tovie Asarese has been reunited with his 1941, autographed painting of baseball legend Joe Dimaggio.
It was stolen from his office at Royal Printing on Grant Street in Buffalo Tuesday afternoon.
Two close friends went to Tovie's house Saturday to do lawn work, when they went inside, they found the panting between the screen door and door, wrapped in plastic.
Now the painting is back in the hand's of its rightful owner.
For nearly 50 years, Tovie played an important role in amateur and youth sports in Western New York, especially on Buffalo's west side.
Tovie was inducted into the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.
He says he's going to donate the painting to the Mcauley Residence in Kenmore.
