Thursday, July 24, 2025

Watch This Bank Shot.

Law Office of John J. Tormey III, Esq.
John J. Tormey III, PLLC
1636 Third Avenue, PMB 188
New York, NY  10128  USA
(212) 410-4142 (phone)
(212) 410-2380 (fax)
jtormey@optonline.net
https://www.tormey.org
 
Friday, July 25, 2025
 
URGENT AND TIME-SENSITIVE
 
VIA U.S. MAIL and E-MAIL:
counsel@dfs.ny.gov
peter.dean@dfs.ny.gov
Peter Christian Dean, Esq. - Counsel
New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS)
Office of General Counsel
1 State Street
New York, New York  10004-1561  USA
 
VIA U.S. MAIL and E-MAIL:
consumers@dfs.ny.gov
public-affairs@dfs.ny.gov
adrienne.harris@dfs.ny.gov
polly.pennoyer@dfs.ny.gov
Adrienne A. Harris - Superintendent
Polly Klyce Pennoyer - Acting Executive Deputy Superintendent, Banking Division
New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS)
1 Commerce Plaza
Albany, New York  12257  USA
 
VIA FAX: 1-860-240-8167, U.S. MAIL, and E-MAIL:
jorge.perez@ct.gov
Commissioner Jorge L. Perez
State of Connecticut, Department of Banking
260 Constitution Plaza
Hartford, Connecticut  06103-1800  USA
 
VIA FAX: 1-860-240-8167, U.S. MAIL, and E-MAIL:
kathleen.titsworth@ct.gov
Kathleen Titsworth, Banking Outreach Coordinator
State of Connecticut, Department of Banking
260 Constitution Plaza
Hartford, Connecticut  06103-1800  USA
 
VIA FAX: 1-860-240-8167, U.S. MAIL, and E-MAIL:
danzel.palmer@ct.gov
matthew.saunig@ct.gov
debra.lein@ct.gov
joseph.wallace@ct.gov
State of Connecticut, Department of Banking
Financial Institutions Division
260 Constitution Plaza
Hartford, Connecticut  06103-1800  USA
Attn: Danzel Palmer, Division Director
Attn: Matthew Saunig, Assistant Director
Attn: Debora Lein, Department Manager
Attn: Joseph Wallace, Department Manager
 
Re:     
Bank Financial Services Complaint Against:
-Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company alias “M&T Bank”, 527 Piermont Avenue, Piermont, NY 10968.
-Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company alias “M&T Bank”, One M&T Plaza, Buffalo, NY 14203.
-Jason J. Bernheimer alias “JJ Bernheimer”, M&T Vice President.
 
Dear Attorney Dean, Superintendent Harris, Commissioner Perez, Ms. Titsworth, Ms. Lein, Mr. Palmer, Mr. Saunig, Mr. Wallace, and Colleagues:
 
I am an attorney in New York and a resident of the Town of Orangetown in Rockland County. I represent no client in this matter, and instead write as a concerned private citizen. I am filing this Bank Financial Services Complaint against:
 
1. Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company d/b/a “M&T Bank”
527 Piermont Avenue
Piermont, New York 10968 USA.
 
2. Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company d/b/a “M&T Bank”
One M&T Plaza
Buffalo, New York 14203 USA.
 
3. Jason J. Bernheimer alias “JJ Bernheimer”
Vice President - Property Manager - Corporate Services
Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company d/b/a “M&T Bank”
527 Piermont Avenue
Piermont, New York 10968 USA.
 
Hereinbelow and for ease of reference, I sometimes collectively refer to the three above-listed complained-of parties as comprising “M&T Bank” or, simply, “M&T”, since they thusfar appear to have acted in concert and collaboration with each other in this matter. It appears that M&T executed and filed up to four (4) false signed written statements with a governmental entity here in New York. Those four (4) false signed written statements were apparently filed with the Planning Board of the Village of Piermont (“Village of Piermont Planning Board”) and then published on the Village of Piermont’s governmental website at:
https://piermont-ny.gov/
As of the date and time of this writing, the false statements are still published to the Village of Piermont’s website at the above-referenced Uniform Resource Locator (URL).
 
The multiple false signed written statements apparently executed and filed by M&T Bank, can be found here:
https://unhandpiermont.blogspot.com/2025/07/watch-this-bank-shot.html
 
All page-number references hereinbelow are to the 58 pages (hereafter, collectively, the “M&T-Filed Packet”) which I posted to the above-referenced “unhandpiermont” blog URL - each page which I first carefully extracted from the Village of Piermont’s website at the links below. You will see that the 58 pages are numbered in the lower right-hand corner by hand, by me, for your ease of reference.
 
As background, and as you will also see in the attached, M&T Bank, as “Applicant”, recently filed the M&T Packet with the Village of Piermont seeking “Site Plan Approval” and “SEQRA determination” for “proposed exterior improvements” at M&T’s facility located at 527 Piermont Avenue in Piermont, New York. The raw documents apparently filed by M&T Bank to that end and then published by the Village of Piermont, can be accessed by re-tracing these below electronic Internet URL paths in sequence, if you prefer to work with the original documents as opposed to the copies that I blogged thereafter today:
https://piermont-ny.gov/departments/index.php
https://piermont-ny.gov/departments/planning_and_zoning_board.php
https://piermont-ny.gov/departments/zoning_board_documents/index.php
https://piermont-ny.gov/departments/zoning_board_documents/index.php#outer-1065
https://piermont-ny.gov/departments/zoning_board_documents/index.php#outer-1066sub-1354
https://piermont-ny.gov/departments/zoning_board_documents/index.php#outer-1066
https://cms9files1.revize.com/piermont/Planning%20Agenda%20AUGUST%2011,%202025.pdf
https://cms9files1.revize.com/piermont/August%202025/75.54-2-24%20Application%2005-20-25.PDF
https://cms9files1.revize.com/piermont/August%202025/75.54-2-24%20M&T%20Bank%20Board%20Pkg.pdf
https://cms9files1.revize.com/piermont/August%202025/2406-5-27-25%20Letter%20to%20Piermont%20-%20signed.pdf
https://cms9files1.revize.com/piermont/August%202025/2406-5-15-25%20Construction%20Drawings%20for%20Planning%20Board%20-%20signed.pdf
https://cms9files1.revize.com/piermont/August%202025/75.54-2-24%20%20SEAF%20Part%201%20-%20Complete%20-%20signed.pdf
 
Here is the heart of the matter. You will please note that on both Page 5 and also Page 16 of the M&T Filed Packet, the Applicant identifies the “Zoning District” as “CBM” [emphasis added]:
... and then signs-off on that factual representation under the signature of one “Jason J. Bernheimer” on May 20, 2025:
“CBM” is a shorthand acronym deployed by the Village of Piermont to signify “Central Business Multi-Use”. Similarly, on Page 10 and Page 21 in the “Application Review Form”, M&T, the Applicant, deposes and says that the “[p]remises affected are in a CBM zone [in the] Village of Piermont…” [emphasis added]:
Yet each of these Applicant M&T Bank statements are false statements. In point of fact, last year, on October 10, 2024, Justice Hal Greenwald of the New York State Supreme Court ordered and adjudged that the CBM zone was null, void, and jurisdictionally-invalid. Please see Janice Young et al. v. Village of Piermont et al., (Case Number/Index No. 032252/2024, Rockland County Supreme Court, April 24, 2024):
https://unhandpiermont.blogspot.com/2024/04/how-to-access-court-file.html
https://unhandpiermont.blogspot.com/2024/10/in-shape-of-l-on-their-foreheads.html
https://unhandpiermont.blogspot.com/2024/10/for-immediate-release-piermont-ny.html
https://unhandpiermont.blogspot.com/2024/10/residents-sue-piermont-village-board.html
https://unhandpiermont.blogspot.com/2024/10/the-courts-decision-in-young-v-village.html
https://unhandpiermont.blogspot.com/2024/10/newsbreak-residents-sue-piermont.html
https://unhandpiermont.blogspot.com/2024/10/newsflash-humiliated-piermont.html
https://unhandpiermont.blogspot.com/2024/04/newsflash-piermont-new-york-residents.html
https://unhandpiermont.blogspot.com/2024/11/rockland-county-to-piermont-mayor-bruce.html
 
In other words, the “CBM” zone does not even exist, and actually never existed. The “CBM” zone was extinguished nunc pro tunc by the New York State Supreme Court and Justice Greenwald. The “CBM” zone is an illegal zone. The malevolent acts of Piermont Mayor Bruce Tucker and his Piermont Village Hall sycophants to try to legitimize the “CBM” zone were themselves illegal acts. Mayor Tucker even made the village government he controlled, enact a fake “Local Law” to create the illegal “CBM” zone. Thankfully, citizen resident litigation stopped Mayor Tucker, which was not a simple feat considering that the Village of Piermont is comprised of only about 2,500 residents, and Mayor Tucker spent an amount estimated to be in excess of US$100,000 in taxpaying-citizen resources litigating this dog of a case against his very own voters, constituents, and neighbors. Bruce Tucker has been an ethical cancer on the body politic of Rockland County since he took office as Piermont Mayor in 2018.
 
Incidentally, I indicate above that M&T filed “up to” four (4) false statements above since it is not yet clear whether two (2) separate false statements were simply repeated in the record by result of document-copying - or alternatively, whether the M&T false statements were actually written and submitted to the Village of Piermont four (4) separate times:
https://unhandpiermont.blogspot.com/2025/07/watch-this-bank-shot.html
For the time being, though, I am presuming the worst as against M&T, since even two (2) false statements alone are bad enough to evoke this Complaint letter. I am hoping that your further investigation and the law enforcement tools which you have at your avail, will reveal the correct numerical answer.
 
Perhaps even more concerning to M&T Bank itself, to Mr. Bernheimer, to the Village of Piermont, and to you and me, is the manner in which M&T’s Vice President Mr. Bernheimer has the utter audacity to warrant the “truth” of the subject written M&T statements, as follows, at Item #6 on Page 11:
 
“6. I [Jason J. Bernheimer] do hereby depose and say that all the above statements and statements contained in the papers submitted herewith are true, knowing that a person who knowingly and intentionally violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor.” [Emphasis added]:
To similar effect, on Page 19:
 
“I, Jason J. Bernheimer hereby depose and say that all the above statements contained in the papers submitted herewith are true”:
Similarly, on Page 21:
 
“I, Jason J. Bernheimer, being duly sworn, hereby depose and say that all the following statements and the statements contained in the papers submitted herewith are true and that the nature and extent of any interests set forth are disclosed to the extent that they are known to the applicant”:
Mr. Bernheimer is not a mere bank teller. Rather, he is an officer of M&T Bank. He is identified on his LinkedIn profile as “Vice President-Property Manager-Corporate Services” for M&T Bank with an alias of “Jason (JJ) Bernheimer”:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-bernheimer-cpm-24a259207/
 
None of the foregoing are idle concerns. The residents of the Village of Piermont and the Town of Orangetown have suffered through almost eight years of the corrupted Bruce Tucker mayoral regime. Tucker is now the outgoing lame-duck Mayor of Piermont while under current New York State audit and investigation by the Office of the New York State Comptroller (OSC):
https://unhandpiermont.blogspot.com/2025/07/news-12-exclusive-ace-reporter-katerina.html
https://unhandpiermont.blogspot.com/2025/07/exclusive-new-york-state-comptroller.html
https://unhandpiermont.blogspot.com/2024/11/newsflash-office-of-new-york-state.html
https://unhandpiermont.blogspot.com/2024/07/tell-it-to-tom.html
https://unhandpiermont.blogspot.com/2024/08/bruce-tuckers-house-of-cards-crashing.html
https://unhandpiermont.blogspot.com/2025/05/piermont-mayor-bruce-tuckers-us367938.html
https://unhandpiermont.blogspot.com/2025/05/2026-adopted-budget-village-of-piermont.html
https://unhandpiermont.blogspot.com/2025/05/piermont-mayor-bruce-tucker-in-stew.html
https://unhandpiermont.blogspot.com/2025/05/piermont-mayor-conceals-comptroller.html
https://unhandpiermont.blogspot.com/2025/06/newly-uncovered-new-york-state.html
 
Mayor Bruce Tucker has announced he is not running for re-election and is leaving office in disgrace, in large part because Tucker and his Village Hall cronies propagated a fake Local Law to prop-up the fictitious “CBM” zoning district – all in support of a harmful and crooked real estate development planned for 447-477 Piermont Avenue in Piermont intended to be built over a former Sunoco gasoline station site which had underground gasoline tanks. Since Justice Greenwald shut down Mayor Tucker and his enablers last October 10, 2024, though, Mayor Tucker and that ill-intentioned crew have since been seeking to insinuate the fake “CBM” district back into Piermont parlance and practice in myriad ways, including by causing the insertion of repeat references to that non-existent “CBM” zone into the Village’s recently-enacted Comprehensive Plan this year in 2025.
 
Therefore, this latest discovery of multiple “CBM” reference in M&T’s application papers could be yet another instance of that same morally-bereft Bruce Tucker plan. Tucker is trying to resuscitate the dead CBM zone. He is, in effect, seeking to “pull the pin” on his Piermont neighbors before he leaves office in a few months. Although it is not yet clear what personal advantage Tucker may gain from resuscitation of the CBM zone and the harmful 447-477 Piermont Avenue development project, the smart money is on the proposition that the New York State Comptroller’s audit and related attention from other agencies, will soon find out.
 
In any event, there is now great concern amongst Piermont and Orangetown residents regarding Mr. Bernheimer’s and M&T’s assertions in the M&T Packet. False assertions were made not just once but up to four (4) separate times in the M&T Packet - assertions that the requested M&T “exterior improvement” work was to take place in the known-to-be-unlawful “CBM” zone. Yet we already know from reading the M&T Packet that M&T Bank has already been in communication with Piermont Village Hall about the proposed M&T work for which approval is sought. Therefore, the false statements in the M&T Packet may actually represent the last-gasp attempt by outgoing Mayor Tucker and his minions themselves to reinstitute the null, void, and jurisdictionally-invalid CBM zone in continued defiance of Justice Greenwald’s October 10, 2024 binding decision. Yet whatever the case, Mr. Bernheimer and M&T Bank should not in any event be allowed to make any public filing with any governmental agency wherein they depose to affirm on-record illegality and make repeated false statements about a non-existent “CBM” zone under penalty of misdemeanor or otherwise – and I am certain that the banking regulations which you enforce, prohibit all that.
 
Please note that the reason why I am filing this complaint with the banking regulatory authorities located in both the State of New York and also in the State of Connecticut, is because on Page 9 of the M&T Packet, Mr. Bernheimer or else someone on his or M&T’s behalf identifies Mr. Bernheimer’s county of residence as Fairfield County in the State of Connecticut:
https://unhandpiermont.blogspot.com/2025/07/watch-this-bank-shot.html
Therefore, it is possible that both the New York State and the Connecticut authorities will want to assert concurrent jurisdiction over this matter, and perhaps even effect an appropriate form of reciprocal discipline. That said, the Village of Piermont and the subject real estate are both situated in the State of New York.
 
Finally, please note that the M&T Application for “Site Plan Approval” and “SEQRA determination” for “proposed exterior improvements” at 527 Piermont Avenue is currently scheduled for a meeting before the Village of Piermont Planning Board on Monday, August 11, 2025. I will therefore appreciate your most expeditious response to this Complaint under the circumstances. That said, under no circumstances should Mr. Bernheimer or his employer M&T Bank be allowed to participate in or cooperate with Piermont Mayor Bruce Tucker and the Piermont Planning Board in illegal activity which is in rank violation and disregard of Justice Greenwald’s October 10, 2024 New York State Supreme Court decision. I am asking that your further investigation of this matter effect some much-needed justice for the people of Piermont and Orangetown, and, at minimum, compel the removal of all references to “CBM” from M&T bank officer Bernheimer’s ill-conceived Application.
 
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.
 
Very truly yours,

John J. Tormey III, Esq.
 
cc:
VIA FAX: 1-518-473-9104, U.S. MAIL, and E-MAIL:
lcrisafulli@osc.ny.gov
Laura M. Crisafulli, Assistant Counsel
State of New York, Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) - Division Of Legal Services
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli
110 State Street, 14th Floor
Albany, New York  12236  USA
 
VIA U.S. MAIL and E-MAIL:
bsheevers@osc.ny.gov
Brian Sheevers - Auditor 3 (Municipal)
State of New York, Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) - Local Government and School Accountability
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli
33 Airport Center Drive, Suite 102 - Newburgh Regional Office
New Windsor, New York  12553  USA
 
VIA U.S. MAIL and E-MAIL:
lnewhall@osc.ny.gov
muni-newburgh@osc.ny.gov
LGSA-Audits@osc.ny.gov
Laura A. Newhall – Auditor 3
State of New York, Office of the State Comptroller (OSC)
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli
33 Airport Center Drive, Suite 102 - Newburgh Regional Office
New Windsor, New York  12553  USA
 
VIA FAX: 1-518-473-8940, (1-212-681-4468), U.S. MAIL and E-MAIL:
contactus@osc.ny.gov
sgaaudits@osc.ny.gov
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli
State of New York, Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) – Albany Office
110 State Street
Albany, New York  12236  USA       
 
VIA U.S. MAIL and E-MAIL:
jfreeman@osc.ny.gov
press@osc.ny.gov
Jennifer L. Freeman, Communications Director
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli
State of New York, Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) – New York City Office
59 Maiden Lane
New York, New York  10038  USA
 
VIA U.S. MAIL and E-MAIL:
eburgess@strategen.com
Edward Burgess – Director
Strategen
10265 Rockingham Drive, Suite #100-4061
Sacramento, California  95827  USA
 
VIA FAX: 1-518-408-3931, U.S. MAIL, and E-MAIL:
InspectorGeneral@osc.ny.gov
Lucy Lang, Inspector General
State of New York, Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) – Inspector General
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli
Empire State Plaza, Agency Building 2, 16th Floor
Albany, New York  12223  USA

VIA FAX: 1-518-408-3931, U.S. MAIL, and E-MAIL:
investigations@osc.ny.gov
Jennifer Wood, CFE - Chief of Investigations
State of New York, Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) – Investigations Division
New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli
59 Maiden Lane
New York, New York  10038  USA
 
VIA U.S. MAIL and E-MAIL:
Aida.Vernon@ag.ny.gov
Aida Vernon, Esq. - Assistant Attorney General
Public Integrity Bureau
28 Liberty Street
New York, New York  10005  USA
 
VIA FAX: 1-845-638-5298, U.S. MAIL, and E-MAIL:
info@rocklandda.org
District Attorney Tom Walsh
Rockland County District Attorney’s Office
1 South Main St, Suite 500
New City, New York  10956-3549  USA
 
VIA FAX: 1-845-364-3435, U.S. MAIL, and E-MAIL:
schuetzd@co.rockland.ny.us
schiafor@co.rockland.ny.us
Mr. Douglas J. Schuetz, Acting Commissioner
Mr. Rich Schiafo, Deputy Commissioner
Rockland County Department of Planning
50 Sanatorium Road, Building T
Pomona, New York  10970  USA
 
VIA FAX: 1-845-364-3435, U.S. MAIL, and E-MAIL:
feidenl@co.rockland.ny.us
housmanm@co.rockland.ny.us
Larraine S. Feiden, Esq., Principal Assistant County Attorney  
Mark Housman, Esq., Principal Assistant County Attorney  
Office of Thomas E. Humbach, County Attorney
11 New Hempstead Road
New City, New York  10956  USA
 
VIA FAX: 1-845-364-3435, U.S. MAIL, and E-MAIL:
carsena@co.rockland.ny.us
Mr. Adam Carsen, Associate Planner
Rockland County Department of Planning
50 Sanatorium Road, Building T
Pomona, New York  10970  USA

VIA U.S. MAIL
Jason J. Bernheimer
Vice President-Property Manager-Corporate Services
Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company d/b/a “M&T Bank”
527 Piermont Avenue
Piermont, New York  10968  USA
 
VIA U.S. MAIL and E-MAIL:
lohara@mtb.com
Laura Proske O’Hara, Esq. – General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer
Manufacturers and Traders Trust Company d/b/a “M&T Bank”
One M&T Plaza - 345 Main Street
Buffalo, New York  14203-2308  USA
 
VIA U.S. MAIL
Bernard J. (Bino) Lanza, Architect
209 Old Route 9, Suite 5
Fishkill, New York  12524  USA
 
VIA U.S. MAIL
Village Of Piermont Planning Board
478 Piermont Avenue
Piermont, New York  10968  USA






































































at
Labels: , , , , , , , ,