Hollywood SQUARES' HOST Cops FOUND My Stolen Painting

Peter Marshall -- the original host of "Hollywood Squares" -- just got some GREAT NEWS ... cops found a painting of a Jesus-esque surfer bro that was stolen from his home nearly 30 years ago!!!

Turns out Marshall had commissioned a local artist named Charles Bragg to paint the portrait more than 30 years ago. The hippie-lookin' dude in the painting is actually "Brother Dave" ... aka Marshall's son Dave LaCock

In 1982,  burglars broke into the TV legend's home and stole the art right off his wall .. along with several other items. Marshall reported the theft to police ... but the case went cold ... until last month.

"Brother Dave" happened to surface at a flea market in Long Beach ... and was purchased by a woman named Shannon Turk, who was completely unaware it was stolen property.

Turk contacted the artist to find out about the painting ... and that's when she discovered it was still technically "hot" property. Turk immediately turned the portrait over to police.

Marshall adds, "Of all the paintings that were stolen, some were very valuable, and this was always the one I wanted returned."

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