World’s Fair in Chicago, the monument was erected by the Italian government to commemorate the epic 1933 transatlantic flight of Italo Balbo. The first century Corinthian column (placed on a modern base) was a gift from Mussolini with an overtly political meaning: “as imperial Rome had ruled the seas, so Fascist Italy commanded the skies” (Carter 2019: 223). As the oldest outdoor artifact in Chicago, the column functioned and functions as a testament to the glories of ancient Rome. At the same time the monument served the purpose of rallying support from Chicago’s Italian immigrant community, support which has not lessened over time. In the aftermath of the Charlottesville Riots (August 11-12 2017) and the national movement to examine confederate and other problematic markers, the Balbo Monument came under scrutiny with calls for its removal from the memorial landscape in which it sits. In the wake of protests and civil unrest related to the murder of George Floyd, in June of 2020 calls for its removal increased. As a part of the Chicago Park District, the monument is cared for with taxpayer dollars, leading many to question why their money is implicitly supporting Fascism. Why does the city of Chicago have a monument, gifted by a Fascist dictator, commemorating another Fascist, and why does it still stand? And why is there no sign or marker, apart from the faded original inscription, virtually unreadable behind the chain-link fence erected in July 2020.