13D Filing: Maltese Capital Management Llc and American River Bankshares (NASDAQ:AMRB)

Item 1.    Security and Issuer.

The class of equity securities to which this statement relates is the Common Stock, no par value (the “Shares”), of American River Bankshares (the “Issuer”), a company incorporated in California, with its principal office at 3100 Zinfandel Drive, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670.

Item 2.    Identity and Background.

(a), (f)

The persons filing this statement are Maltese Capital Management LLC, a New York limited liability company (“MCM”), Maltese Capital Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Holdings”), and Terry Maltese, Managing Member of MCM and Holdings and a citizen of the United States of America (“Mr. Maltese”), with respect to Shares that each of the foregoing may be deemed to have a beneficial ownership. The foregoing persons are hereinafter sometimes referred to collectively as the “Reporting Persons”.

(b)	The address of the principal offices of Holdings and MCM and the business address of Mr. Maltese is Maltese Capital Management LLC, 150 East 52nd Street, 30thth Floor, New York, New York 10022.

(c)

The principal occupation of Mr. Maltese is serving as Managing Member of MCM and Holdings.  The principal business of MCM is that of providing administrative and investment management services to certain investment entities in its capacity as an investment advisor. The principal business of Holdings is that of acting as general partner for certain partnerships.

(d), (e)

None of the Reporting Persons have, during the last five years, (a) been convicted in a criminal proceeding (excluding traffic violations or similar misdemeanors) or (b) been a party to a civil proceeding of a judicial or administrative body of competent jurisdiction and, as a result of such proceeding, was or is subject to a judgment, decree, or final order enjoining future violations of, or prohibiting, or mandating activities subject to, federal or state securities laws or a finding of any violation with respect to such laws.

Item 3.    Source and Amount of Funds.

The funds for the purchase of the 440,709 Shares beneficially owned by MCM came from the working capital of certain private investment funds that MCM manages. No borrowed funds were used to purchase such Shares, other than any borrowed funds used for working capital purposes (including certain leverage arrangements) in the ordinary course of business. The net investment cost (including commissions, if any) of the Shares beneficially owned by MCM was $2,933,716.36.

The funds for the purchase of the 314,863 Shares beneficially owned by Holdings came from the working capital of certain private investment funds for which it serves as the sole general partner. No borrowed funds were used to purchase such Shares, other than any borrowed funds used for working capital purposes (including certain leverage arrangements) in the ordinary course of business. The net investment cost (including commissions, if any) of the Shares beneficially owned by Holdings was $2,017,182.49.

The funds for the purchase of the 440,709 shares beneficially owned by Mr. Maltese, as a result of Mr. Maltese being the control person of MCM and Holdings, came from the working capital of certain private investment funds for which MCM manages and certain private investment funds for which Holdings serves as the general partner. No borrowed funds were used to purchase such Shares, other than any borrowed funds used for working capital purposes (including certain leverage arrangements) in the ordinary course of business. The net investment cost (including commissions, if any) of the Shares beneficially owned by Mr. Maltese was $2,933,716.36.

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