Mr Quattrone was at the centre of the technology boom

Mr Quattrone was convicted in May of hindering an investigation into whether his bank, CSFB, gave clients privileged access to sought-after new shares.

Wednesday's sentence is 2 months longer than the official recommended penalty.

It reflects the court's view that Mr Quattrone lied while giving evidence during his trial.

Financial penalty

The court also fined Mr Quattrone $90,000, and refused him bail pending an appeal against his conviction.

I can hold my head high right now because I know I'm innocent Frank Quattrone

It ordered him to surrender to the authorities to begin his sentence in 50 days' time.

He is expected to serve his time at a minimum security prison in his home state of California.

Mr Quattrone protested his innocence after the hearing.

"I can hold my head high right now because I know I'm innocent and I know I never intended to obstruct justice," he said.

Mr Quattrone, 48, is the most high-profile Wall Street figure to receive a prison sentence since junk-bond dealer Michael Milken, who was jailed in 1990.

He is credited with being among the first investment bankers to recognise the stock market potential of technology and internet companies.

Internet boom

During the 1990s, he worked on the stock market flotations of illustrious tech sector firms such as Netscape, and Cisco Systems, and is reported to have once earned $120m (�66m) in a single year.

The prosecution's case centred on an e-mail forwarded by Mr Quattrone to some CSFB staff advising them to "clean up" their files.

The e-mail was sent in December 2000, after regulators had launched an inquiry into allegations that some banks, including CSFB, regularly gave clients shares in newly-floated tech stocks in return for continued investment banking business.

Mr Quattrone said he had not thought about the investigation when he sent the e-mail, arguing that he merely intended to remind staff about the company's policy on regularly deleting files.