AF

Astoria Financial Corporation

A New York savings bank that offered everyday banking—checking and savings accounts, home mortgages, and consumer loans—through branches across the New York City area, later operating under the name Astoria Bank. It traces its roots to 1888, when it was chartered as the Central Permanent Building and Loan Association, before adopting the Astoria name in 1936 and becoming a full-fledged bank. The name comes from the Queens neighborhood, itself named for fur magnate John Jacob Astor, who never once visited the community that honored him. In 2017 the company was absorbed by Sterling Bancorp, folding its branches into Sterling National Bank.