The self-proclaimed ­Banana King of Long Island made “careless and stupid” decisions — but they don’t add up to criminal conduct, his lawyer said Thursday.

Thomas Hoey Jr. “borrowed” more than $750,000 in employee pension funds at his Long Island Banana Corp. because he was trying to save the struggling businesses, attorney Dominic Amorosa told jurors in closing arguments at Hoey’s embezzlement trial.

“He did not have, according to evidence in this case, the malicious or unlawful state of mind,” said Amorosa.

But Assistant US Attorney Daniel Ben Tehrani said Hoey “stole money from employees over and over and over again. He drained their entire retirement accounts — all of it.”