I knew something was up during the summer of 1975 during one summer as a messenger at the old First Sate Bank. At that time, they had just recently moved into their new state of the art main office on Hooper Avenue (now housing Ocean First), next to the Howard Johnson from an inadequate facility on Rt 37 (a building currently under renovation, a short distance east from White Castle). Before deregulation and the spread of intercounty and interstate banking, FSB was a upstart competitor of FNB of Toms River, and they had about a dozen branches from Ortley to Whiting to Bayville.

One day I was given a special assignment - to start organizing their records retention. Initially, for a week or two, I went to collect various boxes of records scattered in the basements of branches all over the county, and then sort and shelf stuff in the sub-basement, disposing expired information and reboxing. There were even handwritten ledgers from when the bank started the decade before.

After weeks of that, an very unusual assignment came my way. My boss for that assignment, the personnel manager, told me not to tell anyone (even my regular boss) what I was doing, since it was highly confidential. She had a list of a few dozen checking accounts, and wanted me to pull all of the records for those accounts. (probably as a result of a subpoena). The accounts were all in names of bank directors and their businesses, and Portash was one. I think FSB was gone within a few years.

Mr. Dobracki,

Thank you very much for your reply. Would you know of any former FSB officers who are alive and might want to talk about the bank?

I will repeat that FSB's new HQ building on Hooper Avenue was a very impressive building for that size bank in Ocean County at that time. Do you remember exactly when FSB moved from its old HQ at 110 Rt. 37 East into 975 Hooper Avenue.

Again, thank you for sharing your stories and the obit on the former president. If any other stories come to mind please feel free to share....I'd be most interested.

Thanks again,
Mike

Mike,

Unfortunately because of my low level, temporary summer position, I didn't really know many of the FSB officers personally, though at the time, I probably knew most of them by face since I got around alot as a messenger.

I almost certain that the 975 building opened during the spring of 1974. I worked there 73-75, and it wasn't there the first year. In any case, it was already opened when I resumed working there after spring semester, but my department was still in Pine Beach, and didn't move over until later, maybe not until after I left. I'm pretty sure that wasn't my last summer, since I remember that I was surprised by a few other changes when I came back for '75 summer that dictate that 975 was open for '74 summer.

I think they kept the 37 branch opened, at least when I was there.

There were branches in Bayville (mall where Shop RIte is today), Pine Beach (accross from empty mall), Manchester (near town hall), Whiting, Jackson, Silverton, Ortley Beach, and downtown TR (at NE corner of Main and Washington). Mortgage office was on 37 at end of Washington in where a car dealer is now accross from sporting goods.

975 had two levels of basement.

Ted

Hi Ted,

The reason I know a little about 975 is because my father was head of Corporate Real Estate at NJ National Bank at the time they acquired First State. I remember some Saturday morning he had to go to 975 to check on something and took me along and gave me a tour of the building except the basements. I also remember there were tunnels to the booths for the drive in tellers. Quite an HQ for a bank that size. I was 7 at the time this was late 1976. Anyway....that started in time my interest in Schmertz.

Best,
Mike

What were some of the other changes you noticed over your Summer break in 1975?

Thanks,
Mike

Thank you Sir, for your reply. I'll do some research. Again, thanks very much. I wonder who backed Schmertz?

Best regards,
Mike