Milwaukee puts Fonz in bronze

Aaaaaaay! The Fonz will be returning to Milwaukee later this year -- permanently, and in bronze.

A statue of Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli, the leather-jacketed biker from “Happy Days,” will be erected in the city where the TV sitcom was set, now that local groups have raised the $85,000 needed to do it, civic leaders said Friday.

Henry Winkler, who played Fonzie during the show’s run from 1974 to 1984, called the “Bronze the Fonz” project “a phenomenal compliment.”

Two booster groups, VISIT Milwaukee and Spirit Milwaukee, spearheaded the fundraising. Among the donors was cable network TV Land, which has sponsored similar statues such as ones of Bob Newhart in Chicago and Mary Tyler Moore in Minneapolis.