Milwaukee has officially taken down its famous riverfront Bronze Fonz statue, marking what officials say is a long-overdue reckoning with the city’s rebellious “greaser” past.
At a press conference on Friday, Mayor Cavalier Johnson explained that the removal is part of a broader effort to reexamine and move beyond Milwaukee’s controversial cultural icons.
“In 2025, we can’t continue glorifying a time when motorcycles, leather jackets, and reckless street behavior shaped our identity,” said Mayor Johnson, speaking from the now-vacant pedestal where the Fonzie statue once stood. He added that officials are also considering renaming Pinky Tuscadero Park as part of this cultural shift.
Johnson described the psychological burden for young “squares” and “eggheads” who had to walk past a statue honoring Arthur Fonzarelli, a character known for encouraging antics like revving motorcycle engines and taunting bystanders.
“People often romanticize the ‘greaser’ era as innocent fun — all thumbs-ups and jukebox fixes. But the reality was far more problematic,” Johnson explained. “Instead of idolizing Fonzie, who constantly told people to ‘sit on it,’ we should focus on creating safer, more inclusive spaces.”
City officials announced plans to melt the statue and repurpose the bronze to create a soda fountain where local teens and bobby-soxers can hang out without the threat of being “creamed.”