1. Name and Address of Reporting Person
   PUCELLA, MICHAEL
   209  Havemeyer Street
   Brooklyn, NY 11211
   Kings
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
   Dime Community Bancshares, Inc. (DCOM)
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)
4. Statement for Month/Year
   5/2002
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Day/Year)
6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
   ( ) Director                   ( ) 10% Owner
   (X) Officer (give title below) ( ) Other (specify below)
   SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
   (X) Form filed by One Reporting Person
   ( ) Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

TABLE I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned

+---------------------------------+----------+-------------+-----------------------------+----------------+-----------+------------+
|1. Title of Security             |2. Trans- |3. Trans-    |4. Securities Acquired (A)   |5. Amount of    |6. Owner-  |7. Nature   |
|                                 |   action |   action    |   or Disposed of (D)        |   Securities   |   ship    |   of In-   |
|                                 |   Date   |   Code      |                             |   Beneficially |   Form:   |   direct   |
|                                 |          |             |                             |   Owned at     |   Direct  |   Bene-    |
|                                 |  (Month/ |             |                             |   End of       |   (D) or  |   ficial   |
|                                 |   Day/   +-------+-----+-----------+------+----------+   Month        |   Indirect|   Owner-   |
|                                 |   Year)  |Code   |V    |Amount     |A/D   |Price     |                |   (I)     |   ship     |
+---------------------------------+----------+-------+-----+-----------+------+----------+----------------+-----------+------------+
                                                                                            
Common Stock                       05/02/2002 M             4500        A      $6.4500                     D
Common Stock                       05/02/2002 D/K           -1189       D      $24.4200   33698            D
Common Stock                                                                              4050             I           Other
Common Stock                                                                              26482            I           401(k) Plan
Common Stock                                                                              0                I           RRP
Common Stock                                                                              10219            I           BMP
Common Stock                                                                              23301            I           ESOP


TABLE II -- Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned +-------------+--------+----------+---------+-----------+---------------------+----------------+----------+--------+-------+-------+ |1. |2. |3. |4. |5. |6. |7. |8. |9. |10. |11. | | | | | | | | | |Number |Owner- | | | | | | | | | | |of |ship | | | | | | | | | | |Deriv- |Form of| | | | | | | | |Title and Amount| |ative |Deriv- | | | | | | | | |of Underlying | |Secur- |ative |Nature | | |Conver- | | |Number of | |Securities | |ities |Secur- |of | | |sion or | | |Derivative |Date Exercisable +-------+--------+ |Benefi- |ity: |In- | | |Exercise| | |Securities |and Expiration Date | |Amount | |cially |Direct |direct | | |Price of|Transac- |Transac- |Acquired(A)|(Month/Day/Year) | |or | |Owned |(D) or |Bene- | |Title of |Deriv- |tion Date |tion Code|Disposed(D)+----------+----------+ |Number |Price of |at End |In- |ficial | |Derivative |ative |(Month/ +------+--+-----+-----+Date Exer-|Expira- | |of |Derivative|of |direct |Owner- | |Security |Security|Day/Year) |Code |V |(A) |(D) |cisable |tion Date |Title |Shares |Security |Month |(I) |ship | +-------------+--------+----------+------+--+-----+-----+----------+----------+-------+--------+----------+--------+-------+-------+ Stock Options $6.45 05/02/2002 M 4500 12/26/1997 12/26/2006 Common 4500 $6.4500 40500 D (Right to buy) Stock Stock Options $16.36 11/21/2011 Common 12000 D (Right to buy) Stock Explanation of Responses: SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON /s/ MICHAEL PUCELLA DATE 06/10/2002