Exhibit 99

                                First Banks, Inc.
                               St. Louis, Missouri

Contacts:  Terrance M. McCarthy                   Lisa K. Vansickle
           President and                          Senior Vice President and
           Chief Executive Officer                Chief Financial Officer
           First Banks, Inc.                      First Banks, Inc.
           (314) 854-5404                         (314) 592-5000


Traded:    NYSE
Symbol:    FBSPrA - (First Preferred Capital Trust IV,  an  affiliated trust  of
                     First Banks, Inc.)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

      First Banks, Inc. Announces New Director of Operations and Technology

         St. Louis, Missouri, May 12, 2009.  First Banks, Inc. ("First Banks" or
the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Mary P. Sherrill as
Executive  Vice  President and  Director  of  Operations and Technology of First
Banks, effective May 18, 2009.

         Ms. Sherrill will be rejoining First Banks to assume responsibility for
bank-related operations and technology throughout the Company. In this capacity,
Ms. Sherrill  will  oversee  Deposit and Loan Operations,  as well as all of the
functional areas of  Information  Systems and  Technology.  Prior to  her  early
retirement in April 2008,  Ms. Sherrill served  as Executive Vice President  and
Director of Operations of  First Banks  and  Director of First Bank  since April
2003.

         Terrance M. McCarthy,  President and  Chief Executive Officer of  First
Banks,  said,  "Mary was extremely successful in leading the operations areas of
the Company prior to her early retirement.  We look forward to Mary's return  to
First Banks and are confident of a smooth transition in leadership."

         Mr. Russell  L.  Goldammer  resigned  his  positions as Executive  Vice
President  and  Chief Information Officer of  First Banks, Inc.  and Director of
First Bank on May 6, 2009.  Mr. Goldammer had been employed by First Banks since
November 2004.

         First  Banks  had  assets  of  $10.26  billion  at  March 31, 2009  and
currently operates 215 branch banking offices in California, Florida,  Illinois,
Missouri and Texas.  Through its subsidiary bank, First Bank, the Company offers
a broad range of financial products and services to  consumers,  businesses  and
institutions. Visit First Banks on the web at www.firstbanks.com.







                                      # # #

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include,  but
are not limited to,  statements about First Banks' plans,  objectives, estimates
or  projections with  respect to  our  future  financial condition,  expected or
anticipated revenues with respect to our results of operations and our business,
expectations and intentions and other  statements that are not historical facts.
Such  statements  are based  upon the current  beliefs and expectations of First
Banks' management and are subject to  significant risks and uncertainties  which
may cause  actual  results to differ  materially from those contemplated  in the
forward-looking statements.  The following factors,  among others,  could  cause
actual results to differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements:
increased  competition  and   its  effect  on   pricing,  spending,  third-party
relationships  and revenues;  changes in  interest  rates and  overall  economic
conditions;  and  the  risk of  new and changing regulation.  Additional factors
which may cause First Banks' results to  differ materially  from those described
in the  forward-looking statements may be found in First Banks' Annual Report on
Form 10-K,  as filed with the  Securities and  Exchange Commission  ("SEC")  and
available at  the SEC's internet site (http://www.sec.gov).  The forward-looking
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statements in this press release speak only as of the date of the press release,
and First Banks  does not assume  any obligation  to update the  forward-looking
statements  or to  update the reasons why actual results could differ from those
contained in the forward-looking statements.