FirstFed Financial's Babette Heimbuch has been battling to save the L.A. savings and loan. First Fed got hit badly by pay-option mortgages, or "option ARMs," that resulted in huge losses and government warnings to bulk up on capital. James Giraldin, FirstFed's president and COO, succeeds Heimbuch. (LAT)



Mark Lacter created the LA Biz Observed blog in 2006. He posted
until the day before his death on Nov. 13, 2013.