The inscription on the statue says “Il Governatore di Roma alla Citta di Cincinnati 1931 Anno X” which means from the governor of Rome to the city of Cincinnati in 1931. The governor of Rome at the time was Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and now a Cincinnati Councilman has raised questions over whether it should be removed because of Mussolini's fascist past.
Councilman Chris Seelbach originally tweeted that "Statues from the monster that was Benito Mussolini don’t belong in our parks. Museums? Maybe. But not Cincinnati Parks." While he said he would draft legislation to call for removal of the statue, he now tweets he wants to think about it and have discussions with interested parties first.
The statue is similar to one in Rome that depicts the wolf which according to legend raised Romulus and Remus, the founders of the city. Cincinnati has strong connections to Rome beyond the hills that surround both cities. Cincinnati was named for Cincinnatus, a farmer, warrior and statesman who went on to preside over the Roman Kingdom in 460 BC. A statue of Cincinnatus has been erected in Bicentennial Commons along the river.