An Outburst, An Obsession, An Assest
Motherless Brooklyn, a book written by Jonathan Lethem began with two detectives, Lionel Essrog and Gilbert Coney, on a stake-out. They were keeping watch over a meditation center located in Manhattan. We learned that Detective Essrog is not just your average detective; he suffers from Tourette’s syndrome, a psychological condition causing an assortment of compulsive behaviors. Although Essrog and Coney are staking out the Zen center for their boss, Frank Minna, he hasn’t told them any details regarding the subjects or the reason. Minna’s unexpected appearance at the Zen center leads to his abduction and a car chase in which Detectives Essrog and Coney finally catch up with Minna, but have found that he is already dying of multiple stab wounds and will not tell them why he was being attacked or by whom. We later find out that Minna has died from these injuries.
This violent death leads Essrog to recall the history of his boss’ creation of his “Minna Men”. The “minna men were four orphaned boys taken under Minna’s wing while living at the St. Vincent’s Home for Boys in Brooklyn. Primarily, Minna hired Essrog, Coney, Tony Vermonte, and Danny Fantl to do various work for his “moving company”, but eventually Minna became a father figure to them; the four motherless boys yearned to be like Minna, who ruled the various streets of Brooklyn through his shady connections and unscrupulous activities. Minna taught the boys everything they needed to know; they learned to act as his operatives. As time passed, they all became employed at Minna’s car company, which was a front for both a detective agency and the occasional act of vandalism in the service of Minna’s clients.

Detective Essrog states, “Minna Men follow instructions. Minna Men try to be like Minna, but as we know, Minna is now dead.” With Minna gone, his men are now