Last week, a man who changed the face of Wall Street as we know it quietly passed away.
His name was Arturo di Modica, and he wasn't a hedge fund guy, an analyst, or even an investor at all.
Arturo di Modica was the man who created the world-famous charging bull statue that now sits just outside Bowling Green Park.
We think of this statue as an institution.
By now, it's become a well-known part of New York Stock Exchange history and lore.
But this statue almost wasn't part of Wall Street at all.
Legend has it that Merrill Lynch was the company that originally commissioned di Modica to create this three ton statue.
They offered him a million dollars, which was an insane amount of money to di Modica.
Because of this, he wanted this to be the finest work yet.
He spent two years casting and crafting the statue. It was so large it had to be built in pieces, then welded together and sanded to perfection.
By the time he was done, he was eager to present it to the folks at Merrill Lynch…
Only by that time, they didn't want it anymore.
The project had taken too long. The man who ordered the work initially was no longer there.
Di Modica was left with an enormous statue…
And no enormous paycheck.
Rather than go home to Italy with his tail between his legs, though, di Modica decided to do something about this predicament.
He was going to get his revenge in a very unusual way.
So he waited until the perfect time.
He watched the police that patrolled the financial district and noted exactly when he would have a chance to pull off his stunt.
Just days before Christmas, he decided the time was right…
And with a group of friends, he put the massive statue on the back of a truck and drove it to his chosen location.
He knew he only had a four-minute window when there wouldn't be any police presence, so they had to act fast.
When they got to the location, though, something was different.
Where there had been a clear spot only the day before, there was now a massive 40 foot Christmas tree.
Rather than take the statue back and try again another day, though, di Modica decided now was a good a time as any, so he told his friends,
"Drop the bull under the tree - this is my gift."
And so they did.
Instead of going home, di Modica stuck around to see what the reactions to this massive surprise would be.
Obviously, people were shocked by this sudden addition.
Some hated it… but many more loved it.
The NYSE wanted to have the statue removed, but the public wanted the iconic statue to stay…
So they compromised and moved it to the Bowling Green location where it stands to this day.
This story made the news all over the globe.
So even though there was no massive paycheck, di Modica got an opportunity to share his art with the world.
I hope this story inspires you! It does me. Even little people can change Wall Street! Happy Monday!
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