Motherless Brooklyn

by

Jonathan Lethem

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on Motherless Brooklyn makes teaching easy.

Tony Vermonte Character Analysis

Tony Vermonte is one of the four Minna Men who work for Frank Minna as unlicensed, uncredentialed “detectives,” operating through a front called L&L, a faux car service. Tony, who has Italian heritage, enjoys Frank’s favoritism in large part for that reason—and, from a young age, believes that Frank is preparing him to succeed his position in the Brooklyn underworld. Tony is headstrong, fiery, and self-centered. He resents Lionel and often mocks him for his Tourettic verbal tics and physical behaviors—but whereas the other Men, Minna included, see humor and even value in Lionel’s differences, Tony seems dead-set on debasing and demoralizing Lionel as thoroughly as possible. Lionel, on the other hand, admires Tony and wants to work cooperatively with him. Even as Tony pushes Lionel away, Lionel ends up risking it all to save Tony from the clutches of the giant after intuiting that Tony has gotten himself in deep with whatever Gerard and Frank Minna have been cooking up with the Brooklyn mob and the shadowy Fujisaki Corporation. Entitled, proud, and desirous of Frank Minna’s singular attentions, Tony Vermonte is ultimately killed by the giant for his involvement in Frank’s dangerous schemes against the Japanese Yakuza. Tony’s story, like Frank’s, illustrates the danger of getting in too deep when it comes to a life of crime.

Tony Vermonte Quotes in Motherless Brooklyn

The Motherless Brooklyn quotes below are all either spoken by Tony Vermonte or refer to Tony Vermonte. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Mystery and the Futility of Answers Theme Icon
).
Motherless Brooklyn Quotes

Minna was barely a man then himself, of course, though he seemed one to us.

Related Characters: Lionel Essrog (speaker), Frank Minna, Gilbert Coney, Tony Vermonte, Danny Fantl
Page Number: 40
Explanation and Analysis:

'You probably ought to know, Lionel's a freak," said Tony, his voice vibrant with self-regard.

"Yeah, well, you're all freaks, if you don't mind me pointing it out,” said Minna "No parents—or am I mixed up?"

Silence.

"Finish your beer," said Minna tossing his can past us, into the back of the van.

And that was the end of our first job for Frank Minna.

Related Characters: Lionel Essrog (speaker), Frank Minna (speaker), Tony Vermonte (speaker), Gilbert Coney, Danny Fantl
Page Number: 49
Explanation and Analysis:

"This is exciting for you, Ma? I got all of motherless Brooklyn up here for you. Merry Christmas."

Related Characters: Frank Minna (speaker), Lionel Essrog, Gilbert Coney, Tony Vermonte, Danny Fantl, Alphonso Matricardi and Leonardo Rockaforte/The Clients, Carlotta Minna
Page Number: 71
Explanation and Analysis:
Interrogation Eyes Quotes

Minna Men wear suits. Minna Men drive cars. Minna Men listen to tapped lines. Minna Men stand behind Minna hands in their pockets, looking menacing. Minna Men carry money. Minna Men collect money. Minna Men don't ask questions. Minna Men answer phones. Minna Men pick up packages. Minna Men are clean-shaven. Minna Men follow instructions. Minna Men try to be like Minna but Minna is dead.

Related Characters: Lionel Essrog (speaker), Frank Minna, Gilbert Coney, Tony Vermonte, Danny Fantl
Page Number: 90
Explanation and Analysis:
Auto Body Quotes

"Roshi says this thing about guilt," she said after a minute. “That it's selfish, just a way to avoid taking care of yourself. Or thinking about yourself. I guess that's sort of two different things. I can't remember."

"Please don't quote Gerard Minna to me on the subject of guilt," I said. "That's a little hard to swallow under the present circumstances.”

Related Characters: Lionel Essrog (speaker), Kimmery (speaker), Frank Minna, Gerard Minna/Roshi Jerry , Tony Vermonte, The Giant
Page Number: 256
Explanation and Analysis:

It all happened at once. There were six of them, a vision to break your heart. I was almost glad Minna was gone so he'd never have to face it, how perfectly the six middle-aged Japanese men of Fujisaki filled the image the Minna Men had always strained toward but had never reached and never would reach… […] They were all we could never be no matter how Minna pushed us: absolutely a team, a unit, their presence collective like a floating island of charisma and force.

Related Characters: Lionel Essrog (speaker), Frank Minna, Gilbert Coney, Tony Vermonte, Danny Fantl, The Fujisaki Corporation
Page Number: 274
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Motherless Brooklyn LitChart as a printable PDF.
Motherless Brooklyn PDF

Tony Vermonte Quotes in Motherless Brooklyn

The Motherless Brooklyn quotes below are all either spoken by Tony Vermonte or refer to Tony Vermonte. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Mystery and the Futility of Answers Theme Icon
).
Motherless Brooklyn Quotes

Minna was barely a man then himself, of course, though he seemed one to us.

Related Characters: Lionel Essrog (speaker), Frank Minna, Gilbert Coney, Tony Vermonte, Danny Fantl
Page Number: 40
Explanation and Analysis:

'You probably ought to know, Lionel's a freak," said Tony, his voice vibrant with self-regard.

"Yeah, well, you're all freaks, if you don't mind me pointing it out,” said Minna "No parents—or am I mixed up?"

Silence.

"Finish your beer," said Minna tossing his can past us, into the back of the van.

And that was the end of our first job for Frank Minna.

Related Characters: Lionel Essrog (speaker), Frank Minna (speaker), Tony Vermonte (speaker), Gilbert Coney, Danny Fantl
Page Number: 49
Explanation and Analysis:

"This is exciting for you, Ma? I got all of motherless Brooklyn up here for you. Merry Christmas."

Related Characters: Frank Minna (speaker), Lionel Essrog, Gilbert Coney, Tony Vermonte, Danny Fantl, Alphonso Matricardi and Leonardo Rockaforte/The Clients, Carlotta Minna
Page Number: 71
Explanation and Analysis:
Interrogation Eyes Quotes

Minna Men wear suits. Minna Men drive cars. Minna Men listen to tapped lines. Minna Men stand behind Minna hands in their pockets, looking menacing. Minna Men carry money. Minna Men collect money. Minna Men don't ask questions. Minna Men answer phones. Minna Men pick up packages. Minna Men are clean-shaven. Minna Men follow instructions. Minna Men try to be like Minna but Minna is dead.

Related Characters: Lionel Essrog (speaker), Frank Minna, Gilbert Coney, Tony Vermonte, Danny Fantl
Page Number: 90
Explanation and Analysis:
Auto Body Quotes

"Roshi says this thing about guilt," she said after a minute. “That it's selfish, just a way to avoid taking care of yourself. Or thinking about yourself. I guess that's sort of two different things. I can't remember."

"Please don't quote Gerard Minna to me on the subject of guilt," I said. "That's a little hard to swallow under the present circumstances.”

Related Characters: Lionel Essrog (speaker), Kimmery (speaker), Frank Minna, Gerard Minna/Roshi Jerry , Tony Vermonte, The Giant
Page Number: 256
Explanation and Analysis:

It all happened at once. There were six of them, a vision to break your heart. I was almost glad Minna was gone so he'd never have to face it, how perfectly the six middle-aged Japanese men of Fujisaki filled the image the Minna Men had always strained toward but had never reached and never would reach… […] They were all we could never be no matter how Minna pushed us: absolutely a team, a unit, their presence collective like a floating island of charisma and force.

Related Characters: Lionel Essrog (speaker), Frank Minna, Gilbert Coney, Tony Vermonte, Danny Fantl, The Fujisaki Corporation
Page Number: 274
Explanation and Analysis: