CITGO decided to dismantle the deteriorating sign in 1983, but the people of Boston came to its rescue. Claiming the sign was an excellent example of urban neon art, and as Boston as baked beans, they stopped the demolition crew. Groups fought to have the sign declared a landmark. It quickly became clear Bostonians were fond of their sign. CITGO refurbished the sign and, with the flip of a switch, Kenmore Square was bright again in the night sky.

Today the sign still blinks out its message – lifting a name, personality and friendly face high in the Boston sky. The sign contains more than five miles of neon tubes – 5,878 glass tubes of neon – that are lit by 250 high-voltage transformers.