Placing guardian lions at entrances is an ancient tradition in both Europe and Asia. New York City's most famous lions are Edward Clark Potter's Patience and Fortitude (1911) at the New York Public Library. If you "read between the lions," there's more to the story. Wander around today and you will find Brooklyn residences are guarded by lions made of cast stone, concrete cast to simulate masonry, made by manufacturers like S&B Cast Stone (formerly Utica Cast Stone) in East Flatbush, Brooklyn.
The trend began during the Gilded Age (late 19th century) when homeowners in neighborhoods like Park Slope and Brooklyn Heights, influenced by European architecture, defended their homes with ornamental lions. By the 1920s, the trend spread to Bensonhurst and other South Brooklyn neighborhoods. Around 1990, Chinese immigrants who purchased homes in this area began to replace the old lions with Asian-style lions. They are often called foo dogs or fu lions in NYC.