CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Interest income:
Residential mortgage loans	$ 203,950	$ 241,417	$ 289,790
Multi-family and commercial real estate mortgage loans	191,643	178,795	163,352
Consumer and other loans	8,870	8,532	8,797
Mortgage-backed and other securities	62,754	57,065	49,563
Interest-earning cash accounts	418	321	263
Federal Home Loan Bank of New York stock	5,781	6,220	6,665
Total interest income	473,416	492,350	518,430
Interest expense:
Deposits	37,343	51,355	62,617
Borrowings	95,784	98,707	113,911
Total interest expense	133,127	150,062	176,528
Net interest income	340,289	342,288	341,902
Provision for loan losses (credited) charged to operations	(12,072)	(9,469)	19,601
Net interest income after provision for loan losses	352,361	351,757	322,301
Non-interest income:
Customer service fees	32,833	35,710	36,786
Other loan fees	2,284	2,493	2,230
Gain on sales of securities	72	141	2,057
Mortgage banking income, net	4,222	3,326	13,241
Income from bank owned life insurance	8,878	8,476	8,404
Other	6,307	4,702	6,854
Total non-interest income	54,596	54,848	69,572
General and administrative:
Compensation and benefits	152,924	138,177	133,689
Occupancy, equipment and systems	76,801	71,948	70,711
Federal deposit insurance premium	16,421	26,179	37,188
Advertising	10,052	12,450	6,400
Extinguishment of debt	0	0	4,266
Other	32,885	35,656	35,277
Total non-interest expense	289,083	284,410	287,531
Income before income tax expense	117,874	122,195	104,342
Income tax expense	29,799	26,279	37,749
Net income	88,075	95,916	66,593
Preferred stock dividends	8,775	8,775	7,214
Net income available to common shareholders	$ 79,300	$ 87,141	$ 59,379
Basic earnings per common share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.79	$ 0.88	$ 0.60
Diluted earnings per common share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.79	$ 0.88	$ 0.60
Basic weighted average common shares outstanding (in shares)	99,612,473	98,384,443	97,121,497
Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding (in shares)	99,969,838	98,384,443	97,121,497