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Charging Bull Statue History: You Can Rub His Balls for Good Luck [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-04-01
You know the statue: big, bronze, muscular, mid-charge with its head lowered and nostrils flared, big swinging balls, like it’s ready to take on the world. It’s become one of the most iconic symbols of Wall Street and, in a way, of American capitalism. But, how did it get there? That’s the best part.
It All Started with a Crash…
Let’s rewind to Black Monday. On October 19th, 1987 stock markets around the world crashed, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped over 22% in a single day. It was panic-inducing. The financial world was shaken, and Wall Street was pretty gloomy.
Enter Arturo Di Modica, a Sicilian-born artist who had been living in New York. He was known for thinking big and for doing things his way—very much the independent artist spirit. He was deeply affected by the crash, not just financially but emotionally. So, in response, he decided to do something bold.
A Guerrilla Gift of a Bull (With Lucky Balls?)
Di Modica spent over $350,000 of his own money—not commissioned, not sponsored — to sculpt the bull as a symbol of strength, resilience, and the fighting spirit of the American people and economy. He wanted it to be a gift, a message of optimism in a time when the future looked pretty grim.
Oh, and the bull probably has the most famous balls in NYC. Yes, they’ve probably been photographed more than the Freedom Tower. In fact, you’ll often see tourists taking selfies while rubbing the bull’s balls for good luck.
How Did the Charging Bull Statue Get There?
On December 15, 1989, under the cover of night, Di Modica and a few helpers snuck the 7,100-pound statue on a flatbed truck into Bowling Green, right in front of the New York Stock Exchange. They unloaded it, and then drove away.
Naturally, the NYSE wasn’t thrilled. The bull had no permit, and security saw it as a security risk. So just a few hours later, the NYPD hauled it away. You’d think that would be the end of the story—but nope.
Public Outcry and a New Home
People loved the bull. I mean, really loved it. Those big bronze balls apparently had more gravity than Uranus!
Anyway, there was so much public support and media buzz that the city gave in. A few days later, the Parks Department arranged for the bull to be permanently installed just a few blocks away at Bowling Green Park, where it still stands today—snorting, pawing the cobblestones, facing up Broadway like it owns the place.
And in a way, it kind of does.
Symbolism and Interpretation
Originally, the bull was meant to be a symbol of aggressive financial optimism—a "bull market" is when prices are rising and investors are confident. But over time, it’s come to mean a lot of different things depending on who you ask. Some see it as a beacon of ambition.
Others see it as a critique of unchecked capitalism. Many just like the big, beautiful balls.
Then, in 2017, a new statue appeared—Fearless Girl, a small bronze girl standing defiantly in front of the bull, hands on hips. It was part of a campaign for gender diversity in corporate leadership during the #MeToo Movement. It sparked a national conversation and a little drama too, since Di Modica wasn’t thrilled that his work had become part of someone else’s statement.
Charging Bull didn’t arrive with fanfare and permission—it charged into the scene, literally dropped off like a bronze Trojan horse. It wasn’t just art; it was a statement, an act of rebellion, and now, decades later, it's a symbol recognized around the world.
So, do you want to rub the Charging Bull statue’s balls for good luck?
Me too.
Drop a comment below if you feel anything besides neutral about the bull statue or his balls.
Posted by Chairman Meow
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