Citizens National Bank, Monessen, PA (Charter 11487)
Citizens National Bank, Monessen, PA (Chartered 1919 - Liquidated 1931)
Town History
Monessen is a city in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. The population was 7,720 at the 2010 census. In 1940, 20,257 people lived there. In 1990 the population was 13,026. Monessen is the southwestern-most municipality of Westmoreland County and is located about 28 miles south of Pittsburgh, across the river to the east from Charleroi. The Charleroi-Monessen Bridge was built in 1906 and demolished in 2011; it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.
Steel-making was a prominent industry in Monessen, which was a Rust Belt borough in the "Mon Valley" of southwestern Pennsylvania that became a third-class city in 1921.
Monessen, named for the Monongahela River and the industrial German city of Essen, was created by land speculators fairly late in the history of the Mon Valley, after neighboring towns had already been settled. The East Side Land Company bought land from various farmers, laid out the streets, and then sold the lots to prospective residents and employers. James M. Schoonmaker, who had made his fortune in coke, owned a controlling interest in the land company. Sales of lots began on July 27, 1897, for the general public and other employers. Monessen became a borough on September 3, 1898.
Monessen had four National Banks chartered during the Bank Note Era, and three of those banks issued National Bank Notes.
Bank History
- Organized October 18, 1919
- Chartered October 24, 1919
- Liquidated January 2, 1931
- Absorbed by 5253 (Monessen NB/FNB, Monessen, PA)
- Circulation assumed by 5253 (Monessen NB/FNB, Monessen, PA)
- Receivership April 17, 1931
On December 8, 1930, the United States District Attorney's office in Pittsburgh fought a race with time, red tape and international complications to apprehend in Italy an alleged embezzling bank employee believed fleeing to Greece, where he could not be extradited. The fugitive was John D. Mammas, 32, former manager of the foreign department of the Citizens National Bank of Monessen, recently merged with the First National Bank there. The alleged defalcation, reported to be about $22,000, was discovered December 1, but it was not until a week later that charges against Mammas were filed before United States Commissioner Knox by a Department of Justice operative, R. C. Coulter. Assistant United States District Attorney James I. Marsh, learning that Mammas had sailed on the Italian liner Saturnia for Greece, discovered that the boat was due in to Naples, Italy on the 9th. He telephoned to the Attorney General's office at Washington seeking to have the Department of State cause Mammas' detention until formal charges of embezzlement could be forwarded. "If he reaches Greece we cannot hope to extradite Mammas," Marsh said, Citing the lack of a treaty. "The United States has a treaty with Italy providing for extradition of law breakers, but we have none with Greece, and if Mammas slips through our hands at Naples and lands in Greece he will be free from prosecution as long as he remains there." It was understood that the alleged shortage was discovered when accounts were checked in preparation for the physical merging of the assets and liabilities of the two Monessen financial houses. Mr. J. Howard Kelly, president of the First National Bank, said it had not definitely been determined that there were shortages though there were discrepancies of approximately $7,900.
On May 8, 1931, John D. Mammas, former assistant cashier and manager of the foreign department of the Citizens National Bank was indicted by a Federal Grand Jury on eight counts charging embezzlement, misapplying funds, and making false entries. The amount was approximately $50,000. Efforts to locate him failed and as far as known he was never apprehended.
John S. Duvall, former cashier of the Citizens National Bank faced charges of misapplying $5,393.40 of the bank's funds on December 8, 1928. Duvall surrendered to U.S. Marshalls on August 27, 1931 with bond set for $10,000 pending his hearing.
On January 21, 1932, a suit was filed to force payment of $35,000 on two bonds posted by former cashier and assistant cashier Duvall and Mammas, respectively. The suite was filed by J.S. Odland, receiver for the bank, against the Aetna Casualty and Surety Company. The receiver claimed he was refused payment. The bank discovered losses through both men December 10, 1930, Duvall's being $275,965.52 and Mammas' $13,639.44. Duvall's bond was $25,000 and Mammas' was $10,000.
Public sale of $340,773.47 in assets of the Citizens National Bank was authorized by Federal Judge R.M. Gibson on a petition filed by A.L. Brautegam, receiver. The assets were transferred to the First National Bank in 1930. Brautegam became receiver of the First National on October 14, 1933; the First National Bank and Trust Company entered receivership on November 6, 1931.
On May 29, 1935, John S. Duvall, was convicted on charges that he misapplied funds and falsified bank records. Duvall was accused of issuing drafts on the bank to pay for stocks before the institution was absorbed by the First National Bank of Monessen in 1930.
In May 1944, the indictment against John D. Mammas was dropped with his whereabouts unknown, but reportedly in Greece.
Official Bank Title(s)
1: The Citizens National Bank of Monessen, PA
Bank Note Types Issued
A total of $1,078,380 in National Bank Notes was issued by this bank between 1919 and 1931. This consisted of a total of 86,538 notes (75,744 large size and 10,794 small size notes).
This bank issued the following Types and Denominations of bank notes:
Series/Type Sheet/Denoms Serial#s Sheet Comments 1902 Plain Back 3x10-20 1 - 18936 1929 Type 1 6x10 1 - 1405 1929 Type 1 6x20 1 - 394
Bank Presidents and Cashiers
Bank Presidents and Cashiers during the National Bank Note Era (1919 - 1931):
Presidents:
Cashiers:
Other Bank Note Signers
- There are currently no known Vice President or Assistant Cashier bank note signers for this bank.
Wiki Links
- Pennsylvania Bank Note History
- General information on Monessen (Wikipedia)
- General information on Westmoreland County (Wikipedia)
- General information on Pennsylvania (Wikipedia)
Sources
- Monessen, PA, on Wikipedia
- Don C. Kelly, National Bank Notes, A Guide with Prices. 6th Edition (Oxford, OH: The Paper Money Institute, 2008).
- Dean Oakes and John Hickman, Standard Catalog of National Bank Notes. 2nd Edition (Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 1990).
- Banks & Bankers Historical Database (1782-1935), https://bbdata.banknotehistory.com
- The Pittsburgh Press, Pittsburgh, PA, Tue., Dec. 9, 1930.
- The Daily Republican, Monongahela, PA, Wed., Dec. 10, 1930.
- Republican and Herald, Pottsville, PA, Fri., May 8, 1931.
- The Daily Notes, Canonsburg, PA, Fri., Jan. 22, 1932.
- Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph, Pittsburgh, PA, Sun., July 1, 1934.
- The Daily Courier, Connellsville, PA, Wed., May 29, 1935.
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Pittsburgh, PA, Sat., May 27, 1944.