Brash and ultra-competitive, 70-year-old Angelo R. Mozilo has chafed more than a few people with his drive for dominance since he co-founded Countrywide Financial in 1969.

Now, more than a year after the company’s near-collapse and humbling takeover by Bank of America Corp., the Bronx native is preparing to defend himself against a civil suit by federal regulators alleging fraud and insider trading.

From a broader perspective, Mozilo is also awaiting the verdict of history: Was he the No. 1 culprit of the financial crisis, as some (including Time magazine) have suggested? Or was he merely an aggressive executive who made mistakes while trying to keep his “baby,” as he called Countrywide, atop the heap?

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