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                                  UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549


                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT


     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                               September 24, 2002
                Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported)

                            FIRST BANKS AMERICA, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


           DELAWARE                     0-8937                   75-1604965
 (State or other jurisdiction  (Commission File Number)       (I.R.S. Employer
      of incorporation)                                     (Identification No.)


             550 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, California 94111
               (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)


                                 (415) 781-7810
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)


                                 Not Applicable
          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)






                            FIRST BANKS AMERICA, INC.

                                TABLE OF CONTENTS





                                                                            Page

ITEM 5.    OTHER EVENTS AND REGULATION FD DISCLOSURE......................   1

SIGNATURES................................................................   2





               ITEM 5 - OTHER EVENTS AND REGULATION FD DISCLOSURE


         On  September  23, 2002,  First Banks  America,  Inc.,  or FBA, and its
parent company,  First Banks, Inc., or First Banks, issued a joint press release
announcing  the signing of an  Agreement  and Plan of Merger  providing  for the
buyout of FBA's  publicly  held common  shares and the merger of a wholly  owned
subsidiary  of First  Banks with and into FBA.  A copy of this press  release is
attached  as  Exhibit  99.1 and a copy of the  Agreement  and Plan of  Merger is
attached as Exhibit 99.2.







                                   SIGNATURES


         Pursuant to the  requirements  of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on
its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.


                                      FIRST BANKS AMERICA, INC.




                                      By: /s/ James F. Dierberg
                                          --------------------------------------
                                              James F. Dierberg
                                              Chairman of the Board of Directors
                                              and Chief Executive Officer
September 24, 2002                            (Principal Executive Officer)





                                      By: /s/ Allen H. Blake
                                              ----------------------------------
                                              Allen H. Blake
                                              President and
                                              Chief Financial Officer
September 24, 2002                            (Principal Financial and
                                              Accounting Officer)