Mystery behind who painted Wrigley Field painting is solved

Retired Buffalo Grove chiropractor Daniel Kamen finally has an answer in his quest to find the artist who painted what appeared to be a vintage Wrigley Field bleacher scene. And the creator has a strong connection with Chicago lore.

Nearly 20 years ago, a patient paid his bill with what looked like an older 4-foot by 4-foot painting. Kamen thought there might be a connection with 1950s Chicago Cubs outfielder Tommy Brown because of a clue in the ivy, a baseball glove bearing the legend “Tommy 05.” Brown was known to wear the No. 5 in honor of his baseball hero, Joe DiMaggio.

Kamen went so far as to contact Brown, now in his 90s, but the outfielder had no knowledge of the painting.

“I had nowhere else to go to,” Kamen said. “At that point, I was grasping at straws.”

The hunt reached a happy conclusion after the Daily Herald published a story about Kamen’s search and a subsequent report appeared on WGN-TV. The artist saw the TV piece, which led to a meeting at the artist’s Oak Park home.

The “Tommy,” it turns out is the artist Tom Palazzolo, a noted filmmaker whose work including “The Tattooed Lady of Riverview” and ”Jerry’s Deli,“ capture classic moments of Chicago lore.

For more on this story go to Dailyherald.com.