NEW YORK — The sculptor of the famous Charging Bull statue outside the New York Stock Exchange has died.

Arturo Di Modica died of cancer at age 80 in his hometown in Sicily, according to an Italian newspaper.

Since it was installed in 1989, the sculpture at Broad and Wall Streets has drawn millions of visitors each year and is seen as a symbol of Wall Street's power.

Di Modica and co-workers set up the three and a half-ton statue near the stock exchange in the middle of the night to avoid getting caught by security. 

It was soon moved to its current location on a traffic triangle on lower Broadway near Bowling Green, where it became a destination for both tourists and locals. 

For most of his life, Di Modica split his time between New York City and Sicily.