The St. Vincent's Orphanage in Brooklyn, early 1970s. For Lionel Essrog, who suffers from Tourette's syndrome (whose symptoms include talking nonsense, touching everything and everyone within reach, and rearranging objects), Frank Minna is something like a savior. The popular crook in the neighborhood shows up one day and takes Lionel and three other boys on his mysterious jobs across Brooklyn. The four orphans become the Minna Men, offering everything from detective work to driving services. Their days and nights revolve around Frank, the prince of Brooklyn, who strides through life with a big mouth. Then comes the terrible night when Frank is stabbed, leaving Lionel to fend for himself. In search of Frank's murderer, he becomes increasingly entangled in Brooklyn's underworld, trying to navigate the complexities.