Nick Yemana is a philosophical, wisecracking Japanese American detective played by Jack Soo. Yemana is noted for his "off the wall" sense of humor and wry observations about life, as well as for his gambling habits, extraordinarily erratic paperwork filing skills, and for making the squad's coffee (which is disliked by everyone who drinks it).
After Fish's retirement, Yemana becomes the ranking detective. A regular in seasons 1 to 5, Soo died on January 11, 1979 (midway through season 5). A special memorial episode was aired, with the actors breaking character and recalling their favorite Yemana scenes. The episode ended with the entire cast raising their coffee cups in tribute.