Whatever their achievements, the Lynch boys were products of their upbringing. The children of Irish immigrants, Sean P. Lynch, top, and his brother Farrell P. Lynch were strivers like their parents.

"They never forgot where they were from," said their sister, Ellen Lynch. Growing up in a family of seven in a two- bedroom house -- "all the boys slept in the attic," she said -- they were a tight-knit group, and as adults with families, they often gathered in that same house, where their parents still live, for traditional Irish breakfasts.

The brothers both worked at Cantor Fitzgerald; Sean Lynch was an interest rate options broker and Farrell Lynch, who had worked there long enough to be around for the 1993 bombing, was a partner.

Farrell Lynch lived on Long Island with his wife, Eileen, and daughters Katie, 13, Meghan, 11, and Annie, 7. The couple met as sophomores in high school, and they were looking forward to their 15th anniversary this month. Farrell Lynch also looked forward to a day when he could retire and coach high school basketball, said his wife. "He wanted to get into coaching one day -- that was his dream. Simple, but that's what he wanted," she said.

Sean Lynch, 36, lived in Morristown, N.J., with his wife, Lori, and daughters Mary, 3, and Grace, 17 months. "He was a very thoughtful person," said his wife. "He was already saying to Mary, `Be kind to your sister; always treat people well.' "