A story cherishing values since 1955
Banca Popolare del Cassinate was founded in 1955 with the aim to help to rebuild the city of Cassino and the surrounding area after the Second World War, by a group of people who shared their skills, expertise and integrity to serve the community and a new project. They were 43 charter members led by the Italian senator Piercarlo Restagno, who was the Mayor of Cassino at that time and had foreseen the wish for rebirth driving the city: he envisaged that a cooperative bank, managed and led by local people, could be a great contribution to the reconstruction and recovery of the first businesses in the area, be they factories, retailers or artisans.
The bank was founded on 5 February 1955 and registered with the Notary Public Osvaldo Violo, with a share capital of 11,500,000 Italian liras.
People from Cassino praised the project and started to invest their savings with BPC, which in time has become a strategic point of reference for the development of the territory, a sound and transparent bank to trust.
The economic recovery in the 1960s spurred the growth of BPC, with the opening of the first two branches in Atina (1963) and San Giorgio a Liri (1967).
In 1966 Senator Piercarlo Restagno died. His successors as President of the bank were Roberto Tamburrini, Raffaele Varlese and professor Pietro Malatesta.
During 1970s, Cassino and its surroundings were gradually converted from an agricultural and commercial area into an industrial one with a focus on service industry. BPC was able to adjust to the changes, without ever forgetting its role as a cooperative bank, with a special attention to families and small businesses, following in the footsteps and the words of Luigi Luzzatti, the father of cooperative banks: «a little to many and not much to a few».
Since then, the bank went on consolidating its presence in the territory with the opening of new branches: Roccasecca (1971), Aquino (1973), Cervaro (1974), Esperia (1982), San Donato Valcomino (1987), Frosinone (1987), Sant’Elia Fiumerapido (1989), San Giovanni Incarico (1991), Arce (1990), Villa Latina (1991), Sora (1994), Pontecorvo (1995), Sant’Apollinare (1996), Isola del Liri (2003), Arpino (2007), Piedimonte (2011), Ceprano (2011), Ceccano (2011), Formia (2011).
In 1986, after having been appointed Chairman of the Board of Statutory Auditors and Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors, Donato Formisano was appointed President of the Bank and served for over 30 years until 2020. In the same year, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the foundation of the bank, new headquarters were built in Piazza Diaz, Cassino, and key strategic decisions were taken.
The bank has been able to grow, thanks to the trust of account holders, and to boost employment among young people (all its employees are from Cassino and the surroundings), acting in the interest of enterprises, promoting and supporting their creativity and work, providing financing and supporting art, culture, charities and sports.
In 2021, Professor Vincenzo Formisano was appointed President of the Bank.
Today, 65 years and more after its foundation, Banca Popolare del Cassinate is a true point of reference and a resource for the territory, with 130 employees and 25 branches and a strong bond with the past and traditions but ready to look forward to the future.