The Man Behind the Murals

 Eventually, Mr. Ganino decided to leave his full-time job and devote his time and attention to painting. Searching for more clients, he turned to the phone book and began cold calling Connecticut designers, architects and builders, explaining what he could do in their clients’ spaces. “I basically printed these (photo) books … and I would give them to architects and designers and builders. If I couldn’t get in the door or get them on the phone, I would mail it to them. … I would find some way to get in front of them.” </p
p>Over the next decade, Mr. Ganino’s mural business expanded to New York City as more high-profile designers became eager to work with him. Even as he took on bigger projects, his philosophy remained the same: “If you do a good job and you work hard and you don’t cause a lot of trouble,” more people will want to work with you, he says. “If there’s an error on the job, I don’t tell everybody about it, I just fix it. So the designers, builders and architects loved working with me.” </p
p>In 2008, producers from the television series Extreme Makeover: Home Edition asked Mr. Ganino to create a mural to be featured in an episode of the show. He describes the experience as “very interesting. You get very little direction, and you have very little time to do it. It’s an all-nighter.” Despite the demanding timeframe, the job went off without a hitch, he says, and the show’s producers invited him back to complete murals for other episodes. He was later hired to produce murals and faux finishes at restaurants featured on the series Kitchen Nightmares, starring celebrity chef Gordon Ramsey. More made-for-TV mural work followed on Bar Rescue and other series. While worthwhile and valuable, Mr. Ganino describes those experiences as “grueling” due to the tight turnaround times of the projects. In one instance, the artwork was not even completely dry by the time filming began the next day.</p
p>The same year, he booked his first celebrity client, Judy Sheindlin of Judge Judy fame. Positive professional relationships with his clients and contractors, coupled with the success of those projects, garnered other referrals. Mr. Ganino has since worked with a bevy of celebs including Rosie O’Donnell, Dennis Rodman, Mike Tyson, Hulk Hogan, Chevy Chase, Wade Boggs and John Daly, among others. “You do a decent job and you’re quiet about it, almost like you’re invisible. … You let the work speak for itself,” he says. “Then, eventually, [potential clients] will reach out and want to talk to you about it.” </p
p>A self-described “high-sensation seeker,” Mr. Ganino says, “Every project I do has challenges, whether it be location, the heat, the cold, it doesn’t matter. It’s just an awesome feeling” to complete a project. “It’s something I wanted to do as a young boy. I remember driving through town with my parents. I was in the backseat, and I saw a mural on the side of a building, and I was like, ‘I want to do that,’ and having that inspire me like it did, even now, I still remember it. … I also love the idea that maybe I can inspire another artist to want to do this, too. There aren’t many of us.” </p
p>The personal tragedy of a longtime family friend first brought Mr. Ganino to Frisco. Scott Hoffner is a local restaurateur and owner of Didi’s Downtown. Following the death of Mr. Hoffner’s mother in 2017, Mr. Ganino offered to paint a mural on an exterior wall at the restaurant in her honor. The next year, he completed the train mural that is featured there. He and Mr. Hoffner discussed several ideas and settled on the train theme given Frisco’s railroad-laden history. The men also added a personal touch: The two young girls depicted in the mural are Mr. Hoffner’s daughters. A self-portrait of Mr. Ganino can also be seen in the piece. </p
p>Donny Churchman, owner of Frisco-based Nack Development, soon took note of Mr. Ganino’s work at Didi’s Downtown. “I love what he did,” Mr. Churchman says of the mural. “I thought it was really cool and creative.” In 2019, Mr. Churchman commissioned Mr. Ganino for three Rail District mural projects. The first was a 40-foot-tall mural on the rooftop of The Patios at the Rail on Main Street. While brainstorming ideas for the project, Mr. Churchman says he let Mr. Ganino’s creativity take the lead. “For me, it’s always about people. … I told [Mr. Ganino], ‘Here’s my vision for downtown, you come up with something cool,’ and that’s what he did.” </p
p>The original concept for The Patios mural included an open-bar scene with notable people and celebrities congregating. However, when Mr. Churchman revealed that The Patios was built on the site of the former Double Dip Frozen Custard stand, they re-envisioned the mural’s scene as the counter of the Double Dip. That decision presented challenges, which included locating old photos of the Double Dip to use as a reference. </p
p>In the end, Mr. Ganino rendered the counter scene featuring an eclectic mix of recognizable faces chosen by himself and Mr. Churchman, who was also immortalized in the piece. After initially refusing to be included, Mr. Ganino told Mr. Churchman, “`I’m not doing [the mural] unless you’re in it,’ and he reluctantly accepted.” His likeness is seen conversing with his business partners, former Major League Baseball players Matt Kemp and Torii Hunter. Also featured are legendary boxer Muhammed Ali and famed martial artist and actor Bruce Lee. Meanwhile, the iconic likeness of Marilyn Monroe nods to the glamorous 1950s; and Justin Bieber is “instantly recognizable” to younger generations, he says. Smiling through the Double Dip’s window is Chevy Chase, a client of Mr. Ganino’s and one of Mr. Churchman’s favorite actors. </p
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