Civic Virtue ('Fat Boy') — Haunted & Secret History in New York City

Entry No. 32 — the New York City file — filed under: outdoor

Civic Virtue ('Fat Boy')

This 17-foot MacMonnies marble group shows a heroic nude man, sword over his shoulder, standing atop two writhing female 'sirens' of Vice and Corruption. It was so reviled as sexist that Mayor La Guardia called it 'Fat Boy' and it was eventually exiled from a Queens Boulevard intersection. In 2012 it was hauled to Green-Wood Cemetery, where it now sits in genteel disgrace among the Victorian monuments.

The move: Wander Green-Wood's hilltop paths hunting for the banished 'Fat Boy,' then picnic among the parakeets at the Gothic gates.

📍 Before you go Inside Green-Wood Cemetery, which has gate hours and visitor etiquette; the statue sits well inside the grounds, so allow time to find it.

Where: Green-Wood Cemetery, 500 25th St, Brooklyn, NY 11232

Hours: Added 2026-06-23 — confirm current hours before you go.

#roadside-oddity #public-sculpture #controversial #cemetery #marble #outdoor

Plan a visit & invite your people →

Proof: source 1 · source 2 · source 3 · source 4

last checked: 2026-06-23