BROOKLYN, N.Y. — The Quinn Brothers grew up in a tight-knit Irish-American family in southern Brooklyn. Older brother Michael, the youngest Joe, and middle brother Jimmy, who Michael and Joe describe as full of energy and life and zest, a beautiful soul.
What You Need To Know
- Jimmy Quinn, 23, of Brooklyn was a trader at Cantor Fitzgerald when he was killed at the World Trade Center on 9/11
- His brothers Michael and Joe started Feltman’s Hot Dogs in his honor in 2015
- The brothers had planned to start a business together before Jimmy’s death
- The Quinn Family has hosted an outing to a New York Mets game for family and friends each year since 9/11
"He never took every day for granted, he lived his life to the fullest," said Michael Quinn.
On September 11, 2001, Jimmy was 23-years-old and working as a trader at Cantor Fitzgerald in the North Tower of the World Trade Center. That morning he was running late for work, looking for his wristwatch in the family home.
"He just got moved up to the equities desk, 104th floor, and he searched through the house and finally we found it underneath the Daily News in the sports section where the baseball standings were," said Michael Quinn. "He ran out the door and that's the last we ever saw or heard from him.”
At the time Joe Quinn was a senior at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He would go on to serve 10 years in the Army during the war on terror, two tours in Iran and one in Afghanistan as a civilian advisor. When he returned, the brothers decided to start a business together in honor of Jimmy, something they had hoped to do as a trio before his death.
Feltman's Hot Dogs was born in 2015, a revival of a once famous brand founded in Coney Island in the late 1860s. It’s named for Charles Feltman, who is credited with inventing the hot dog. They started the business with hot dog stands at Luna Park amusement park and a kitchen window on St. Mark's Place in the East Village. After that, they moved their franks into stores. Their first account was Brenman's Meat Market in Gerritsen Beach, near where they grew up. Owner Glenn Izzo said it was a natural to feature the Quinn brothers product. Now the franks are sold in thousands of supermarkets across the country.
Another way the Quinns have honored Jimmy, a born and bred New York Mets fan who idolized Hall of Famer Mike Piazza, is a yearly annual gathering for a Mets game.
This year's 20th edition will be held on 9/11 at Citi Field with the Mets taking on the Yankees. Proceeds from sales of commemorative t-shirts for the game will go towards the 3 Brothers Foundation, a non-for-profit created in Jimmy's memory to support children and families impacted by 9/11, not to mention the families of military service members and Veterans.
"I think it's just going to be a special night, not just for Mets fans and Yankee fans but for all New Yorkers who go back to that time where we were reunited as a country so it's going to be a very special night," said Joe Quinn.
During the game, the Mets will honor Joe Quinn as the Veteran of the Game. Jimmy's photo will be shown on the Citi Field Jumbotron, a reminder of the many lives lost 20 years ago on 9/11. For the Quinns, the annual game, charitable efforts and Feltman's keep Jimmy's spirit alive every day.
"It's almost as if the business is Jimmy, and it brings us joy to do it together and fulfill Jimmy dream of bringing this to life," said Joe Quinn.
Find out more at feltmansofconeyisland.com.