David Bretoi, one of the first thrift...

David Bretoi, one of the first thrift executives tapped to help regulators run failed savings and loans, has co-founded the Lighthouse Management Group in Brea to advise regulators and financial institutions.

Bretoi is president of the Lighthouse group and John L. Carr, now running Gibraltar Savings for regulators, is chairman. The two men recently bought the firm, called FN Venture Corp., from its parent, First Nationwide Savings Bank in San Francisco.

Bretoi had been president of FN Venture since April, 1985, when he led a First Nationwide management team hired by federal regulators to operate Beverly Hills Savings & Loan in Mission Viejo. Beverly Hills Savings was the first S&L; seized and kept open by regulators under its so-called management consignment program, and Bretoi stayed until the S&L; was sold at the end of last year to Michigan National Corp., a bank holding company outside Detroit.

During his absence, First Nationwide was bought by Ford Motor Co. and his boss, Anthony M. Frank, left to become the U.S. postmaster general.