Introduction to the Story
WICKER PARK — For chef and Food Network star Jeff Mauro, a years-long search for four missing custom Chicago sports jerseys had long felt like a pie-in-the-sky quest — until now.
The Backstory
The jerseys were given to Mauro — a co-host of the Food Network show “The Kitchen” and founder of Mauro Provisions — by the Cubs, White Sox and Blackhawks for throwing out first pitches as well as “shooting the puck” at a hockey game.
For years, they had hung on a back wall of the Wicker Park Pork & Mindy’s, a local chain in which Mauro was a partner.
But when the restaurant abruptly declared bankruptcy and shut down in fall 2019 while Mauro was out of the country, he never had the chance to recover them and they’ve been missing since.
The Search Begins
“The restaurant suddenly closed, unbeknownst to me. Overnight they shut everything down. And I never had a chance to go back there and retrieve these,” Mauro told Block Club last September. “The pandemic happened fairly close to that, so it was not at top of mind.”
Despite later attempts to find out what happened, the jerseys still never turned up. No one Mauro talked to seemed to know where they were, even with his last name and “Sandwich King” moniker on the back.
A Plea for Help
So one day last September, Mauro made a post on the Chicago subreddit with a last-ditch plea for help. It received more than 1,000 upvotes and 124 comments — kickstarting a renewed search that was buoyed by a meaty reward.
“Again, long SHOT…. but I promise you this: if any tip leads to the return of my jerseys, I will SHOWER YOU IN MEAT AND GIARDINIERA,” he wrote.
Chef Jeff Mauro has been reunited with four custom Chicago sports jerseys that once hung in the Wicker Park Pork & Mindy’s location. Credit: Provided/Facebook
The Recovery
The post yielded a series of ideas on where Mauro could look or who he should contact. But nothing materialized until last week, when he got a call from a lawyer — who wishes to stay anonymous — who handled the Pork & Mindy’s bankruptcy liquidation.
It turns out the jerseys had been sitting in a room in his office all these years, forgotten until an employee found them and recognized Mauro’s name.
The lawyer called Mauro to inform him and, on Friday, Mauro showed up to reclaim them — with the reward in hand.
“As promised, I delivered. I showered him in Italian beef and giardinera and cookbooks, and I got my jerseys safely back home,” Mauro said.
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The New Chapter
The jerseys are now waiting to be hung up at Mauro’s house in the suburbs, although he’s swapping out one that says “Pork & Mindy’s” on the back with a new one from the Chicago Fire.
Mauro said reclaiming the jerseys was never about any financial gain. As he notes, he didn’t exactly buy them at the “jersey store.” Instead, he plans to display them as family keepsakes for his 16-year-old son.
“Hopefully he can look at these on our wall and go, ‘Hey, not only do I want these, but I want my own, I want my own last name on my own jerseys,” he said. “I feel very accomplished. I feel, too, very cathartic in a way.”
Conclusion
The recovery of the custom jerseys is a heartwarming story of perseverance and community involvement. After years of searching, Mauro has finally been reunited with his beloved jerseys, thanks to the help of a lawyer and the power of social media.
FAQs
Q: What were the jerseys given to Jeff Mauro for?
A: The jerseys were given to Mauro for throwing out first pitches and “shooting the puck” at a hockey game.
Q: Why were the jerseys missing for so long?
A: The jerseys were missing because the restaurant where they were hung, Wicker Park Pork & Mindy’s, abruptly closed down while Mauro was out of the country, and he never had the chance to recover them.
Q: How did Mauro finally recover the jerseys?
A: Mauro recovered the jerseys after a lawyer who handled the Pork & Mindy’s bankruptcy liquidation found them in his office and contacted Mauro.
Q: What does Mauro plan to do with the jerseys now?
A: Mauro plans to display the jerseys as family keepsakes for his 16-year-old son.
