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The first man, who wasn't feeling well, stopped to rest in the leather chairs surrounding the piano. The second man sauntered out the door after getting change from a teller.
Like the other two, advertising executive Ed Brody feels comfortable at Manhattan Savings Bank.
"I like the piano music at lunch and the murals on the walls," says Mr. Brody, who banks at Manhattan Savings' main branch at Madison Avenue and East 47th Street rather than a commercial bank for his personal accounts. After all, the attendants who tell customers where the next available teller is haven't been replaced by machines.
For years, Manhattan Savings has gone its own way, sticking to traditions given up by its competitors. The result has been an institution that thrived while its rivals faltered. And while the charm may be lost now that the Manhattan Savings Bank Building will be demolished to make room for one of the city's highest skyscrapers, the strategy won't change.
Typically, the thrift sold the building about four years ago to cash in on the New York real estate market and solidify its financial position.
Some wonder if Manhattan Savings' strategy is timid rather than conservative. They suggest that the $2.9 billion thrift's stellar balance sheet could be used more aggressively to build the institution.
But John A. Pancetti, who this year succeeded former governor Malcolm Wilson as chairman, rejects claims that the thrift is too timid.
"A bank that does the nutty kind of shows we do can't be called conservative," says the 57-year-old Mr. Pancetti, referring to the dog, cat...