This incredible story begins on the pier of an American port, with a young German-Jewish immigrant who breathes deeply the enthusiasm of the landing. Acute and rational, Henry Lehman (not coincidentally nicknamed "Testa") moved to the deep South of the United States, where he opened a tiny fabric shop. But slaves cotton is only the first test for the commercial cleverness of Lehman Brothers (because in the meantime Henry has been joined by the two younger brothers Emanuel and Mayer, respectively called "Braccio" and "Patata"). In a series of events, the three brothers collect resounding successes and irritating missteps while the great magnet of New York attracts them in its heady vortex. In the meantime, the old cotton has replaced coffee, sugar, coal, and especially the new frontier of a railway industry to be financed. --Translated from inside front cover.