Character List for Motherless Brooklyn

Motherless Brooklyn (the crew from St. Vincent’s Home for Boys) aka the “Minna Men”

Lionel Essrog—aka “Freakshow,” aka “Alibi,” aka “Crazyman”; the narrator, who has Tourette’s syndrome

Gilbert “Gil” Coney—a tough guy, but tolerant of and close to Lionel; on stakeout with Lionel at beginning of book

Tony Vermonte—the oldest of the crew and favored by Frank Minna

Danny Fantl—a black kid who passes for white, a basketball player, the first to be sent for driving lessons, and the one chosen for private deliveries

The Minnas and Their “Associates”

Frank Minna—owner of a “car service” business (L & L) that’s a cover for a “detective agency” that’s a cover for something else; he plucked the Motherless Brooklyn crew from St. Vincent’s when they were teens; they work for him

Gerard Minna—Frank’s older brother who spirited Frank out of town a few years after Frank first hires Motherless Brooklyn; he didn’t return when Frank came back three years later at Carlotta’s death

Carlotta Minna—Frank and Gerard’s mother; Frank “inherited” her apartment when he returned

Julia Minna—the woman Frank Minna met and married while he was away with Gerard

Ullman—an accountant

“the giant”—a Polish strongman . . . . if he exists

Alphonso Matricardi

Leonardo Rockaforte—aka “the Clients”; shadow figures connected with some of Frank Minna’s “detective” work who seemed to make Minna uneasy

Characters Connected with the Yorkville Zendo

Kimmery—one of the students at the Yorkville Zendo; she’s the girl who entered the Zendo before Frank Minna on the day of the “stakeout” at the beginning of the book

Wallace—an “old hippie” who’s a serious student and “stoic sitter” at the Zendo

Jerry-Roshi—the roshi (leader) of the Zendo; he turns out to be Gerard Minna

The “Law”

Lucius Seminole—the homicide detective in charge of finding Frank Minna’s killer

Loomis—aka “the garbage cop”; a friend of Gilbert Coney who works as a sanitation inspector