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


            Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): October 18, 2002
                                                             (October 18, 2002)

                              TrustCo Bank Corp NY


             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

                                    New York
                 (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)


                    0-10592                                    14-1630287
       ------------------------------------          -------------------------
         (Commission File Number)              (IRS Employer Identification No.)


                  5 Sarnowski Drive, Glenville, New York 12302
               (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)



            Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (518) 377-3311
                                                                --------------





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TrustCo Bank Corp NY


Item 5.           Other Events

                  A press release was issued on October 18, 2002 announcing a
                  major reorganization at the executive officer level. Attached
                  is the press release labeled as exhibit 99(a).




Item 7            (c) Exhibits


                  Reg S-K Exhibit No.           Description
                           99(a)                Press release dated October 18,
                                                2002 announcing a major
                                                reorganization at the executive
                                                officer level.





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                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements 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.


Dated: October 18, 2002

                                                  TrustCo Bank Corp NY
                                                  (Registrant)


                                                   By:/s/ Robert T. Cushing
                                                  ----------------------------
                                                    Robert T. Cushing
                                                    Vice President and
                                                    Chief Financial Officer




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                                 Exhibits Index


The following exhibits are filed herewith:


Reg S-K Exhibit No.        Description                              Page
------------------         ----------------------------         ----------
         99(a)             Press release dated October 18,           5-6
                           2002,   announcing a major
                           reorganization at the executive officer
                           level.




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                                                                Exhibit 99(a)
TRUSTCO
Bank Corp NY                                                    News Release
-----------------------------------------------------------------
5 Sarnowski Drive, Glenville, New York, 12302
(518) 377-3311   Fax: (518) 381-3668

Subsidiaries:   Trustco Bank                                     NASDAQ - TRST
                Trustco Savings

                Robert M. Leonard
                Vice President
                (518) 381-3693

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

                   TRUSTCO RESTRUCTURES TO PREPARE FOR GROWTH

Glenville, New York - October 18, 2002

In the latest in a series of initiatives to guide its program of expansion,
TrustCo Bank Corp NY (TrustCo) has announced a major reorganization at the
executive officer level.

Effective  November 1, Robert A.  McCormick  will retire as President and CEO to
concentrate  his  efforts  as  Chairman  of the  Board of the  combined  Trustco
operations.  He will, however, remain on as a consultant.  Senior Vice President
and Chief Financial  Officer Robert T. Cushing will become  President and CEO of
TrustCo  Bank Corp NY, the  holding  company.  Senior Vice  President  Robert J.
McCormick will become President and CEO of Trustco Bank.  Effective  December 1,
Senior Vice Presidents Robert T. Cushing and Nancy A. McNamara will be resigning
as board members of TrustCo Bank Corp NY.

These  changes  will  position  the Company to operate  under  recently  enacted
legislation  affecting the composition and  responsibilities  of publicly-traded
companies such as TrustCo.

Even more  important,  according to McCormick,  the new structure helps the bank
meet a number of objectives. "To begin, we are launching an unprecedented era of
growth,  including  expansion into new geographic  areas.  As Chairman,  free of
operational concerns, I am better able to focus on guiding these efforts. At the
same time, this new structure  affords greater  opportunity for executive growth
within  the  bank,  allowing  us to  benefit  from new  energy  and  ideas,  and
broadening the base of our strength for the future. It is my intention to remain
available to shepherd this management transition."




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Other recent growth  initiatives  at TrustCo  include  revisions in the dividend
structure to help finance  expansion,  and a pending  application to combine its
savings  and  commercial  operations,   and  move  forward  as  a  thrift,  with
regulations far more amenable to branching. The bank has announced plans to open
30 new branches in the next three years, regionally, downstate, and in Florida.

TrustCo Bank Corp NY is a $2.7 billion  dollar bank holding  company and through
its two subsidiary banks, Trustco Bank, National Association and Trustco Savings
Bank, operates 63 offices in Albany,  Columbia,  Dutchess,  Greene,  Montgomery,
Rennselaer, Rockland, Saratoga, Schenectady,  Schoharie, Warren, Washington, and
Westchester Counties in New York, and Bennington County in Vermont. In addition,
the bank  operates a full  service  Trust  Department  that has $927  million of
assets under  management.  The common shares of TrustCo are traded on the NASDAQ
National Market tier of the NASDAQ Stock Market under the symbol TRST.

Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in
this news release and other  information  contained in TrustCo's  Securities and
Exchange  Commission  filings may express  "forward-looking  statements."  Those
"forward-looking  statements"  may  involve  risk and  uncertainties,  including
statements  containing  future events or performance  and  assumptions and other
statements of historical facts.

TrustCo  wishes  to  caution   readers  not  to  place  undue  reliance  on  any
forward-looking  statements,  which speak only as of the date made.  Readers are
advised  that various risk  factors,  including,  but not limited to: (1) credit
risk,  (2) interest rate risk,  (3)  competition,  (4) changes in the regulatory
environment,  and (5) changes in general  business  and economic  trends,  could
cause  the  actual  results  or  circumstances  for  future  periods  to  differ
materially   from  those   anticipated  or  projected  in  the   forward-looking
statements.




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