On September 11th, New York State lost more than one hundred dedicated state workers. They were committed public servants who performed their duties with honor. They included three court officers, three employees of the Department of Transportation, forty employees from the Department of Taxation and Finance, and seventy-four employees from the Port Authority.

The Banking Department had 20 examiners in the Towers that day performing examinations. All made it out safely and not one of our 635 employees was harmed.

The financial services industry was not as fortunate as the Department's staff.

Fiduciary Trust Company International lost 87 employees.

Credit Agricole Indosuez lost 69 employees of their subsidiary Carr Futures.

Fuji Bank lost 18 employees.

And there were many others who lost their employees.

Twenty-four foreign financial institutions lost their offices. All of the institutions were located in the Towers except for one that was located at 7 WTC.

Citizens of eighty countries died that day.

I lost a very dear friend and mentor when Neil Levin died. In a very short time, Neil accomplished many great things. Neil taught me many things, but one thing stands out. If you do your job well, with integrity and to the best of your abilities, you can make a difference.

On behalf of the Banking Department, I want to extend my deepest sympathies to our entire community for all the loved ones who were lost or hurt by the terrorist attacks.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." And we have found in the aftermath of September 11th that a great deal of good lies within us.

The Banking Department along with federal regulators and financial institutions throughout the State took on an incredible task, securing and stabilizing the financial capital of the world. I am very proud of the industry and of the New York State Banking Department staff.

Sincerely,