Dead CEO of failed Bridgeport bank worried over his safety, sister told feds

After the collapse of Bridgeport’s century-old Washington Federal Bank for Savings and the death of its president and CEO John F. Gembara, his sister told federal authorities investigating the failure of their family-owned bank that he had been worried about his safety, court records obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times show.

According to Gembara’s sister Janice Gembara Weston, who also was a member of the bank’s board of directors, his concern stemmed from the ouster of a board member and shareholder named Joseph Mazurkiewicz.

She said in a now-sealed deposition that her brother began bringing Marek Matczuk, a hulking contractor nicknamed Shrek, to the bank’s annual board meeting, which Mazurkiewicz continued to attend even after being dumped.

“I remember one meeting with — going to the issue with Joseph Mazurkiewicz,” Weston, who was the bank’s senior vice president, testified in a deposition. “He was very disenchanted with being kicked off the board. But he would still come to the annual board meeting.

Read more: https://chicago.suntimes.com/2021/6/11/22528077/failed-bridgeport-washington-federal-bank-savings-gembara-janice-weston-marek-matzuk-mazurkiewicz