Jonatham Lethem’s novel Motherless Brooklyn (1999) was adapted for film in 2019 by Edward Norton.

Norton also starred as Lionel Essrog, the PI with Tourette’s who is determined to find out who killed his mentor and boss, Frank Minna (Bruce Willis).

Edward Norton has changed the setting of the film to 1957 NYC and changed the reason for Frank Minna being killed. In the film there is a conspiracy around the gentrification of New York and the shifting out of the city of the Black and working-class communities.

The other 3 “Minna Men” are included in the film – Tony (Bobby Cannavale), Danny (Dallas Roberts), Gilbert (Ethan Suplee) – but little is said about the boys’ home from which they – and Lionel Essrog – were plucked by Frank Minna.