The Family Bank Then and Now

About the Book

The Family Bank Then and Now is based on the life and times of the author’s grandfather, Americco L. Lagomarsino. His parents came to America from Italy knowing they had jobs waiting for them in Colma, California, which is widely recognized as “the cemetery capital of the world.” The author started his career as a cemetery worker at age twelve. After Americco’s mother, Teresa, contracted syphilis from her husband, Louis, she divorced him and raised her four sons with morals, compassion, and the courage to be real men who treated their wives and children with respect and love. Established in 1926, Wm. Lagomarsino and Company thrived in the real estate and insurance business. Teresa left her children property to subdivide and build affordable houses, paving the way for them to embark down a path that led from rags to riches. A week before the author was born, Americco, formerly the vice president of a savings and loan, opened First National Bank of Daly City. In this book, the author recalls her grandfather’s legacy and the pain she endured growing up in a home where family members abused her emotionally, physically, and sexually—and how future generations fought over the fortune he left.

About the Author

J. L. Foster is from the San Francisco Bay area. She is the granddaughter of Americco L. Lagomarsino, the founder and CEO of First National Bank of Daly City. She has been a certified real estate appraiser since 2001. She has built two custom houses in San Mateo County.