As an auxiliary word, 的 is used to indicate possession. It comes between the subject and the noun it modifies: 我的書, 我媽媽的車 etc.
In the case of kinship or as a reference to people, however, the possessive marker 的 can be omitted. /Otherwise it cannot/.
e.g. 你弟弟 = 你的弟弟, 我爸爸 = 我的爸爸