SEC Form 4

FORM 4		UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940	OMB APPROVAL OMB Number: 3235-0287 Estimated average burden hours per response: 0.5
	Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person* APPLEBAUM HOWARD M (Last) (First) (Middle) 650 FIFTH AVENUE 4TH FLOOR (Street) NEW YORK NY 10019 (City) (State) (Zip)	2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol STERLING BANCORP [ STL ]	5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable) Director 10% Owner X Officer (give title below) Other (specify below) Senior Vice President
	3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year) 03/14/2007
	4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)	6. 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 (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price
Common Stock	03/14/2007		F		6,968	D	$17.81	22,158	D
Common Stock	03/14/2007		M		12,003	A	$10.34	34,161	D
Common Stock								2,662	I	By 401(k)
Common Stock								6,343	I	By IRA

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares
Incentive Stock Options (right to buy)	$10.34	03/14/2007		M			12,003	02/10/1999	02/10/2008	Common Stock	12,003	$0	0	D
Incentive Stock Option (right to buy)	$8.69							02/12/2000(1)	02/12/2009	Common Stock	12,003		12,003	D
Incentive Stock Options (right to buy)	$14.6							02/06/2003(1)	02/06/2012	Common Stock	18,900		18,900	D
Non-qualified Stock Options (right to buy)	$26.94							12/19/2005(2)	03/22/2011	Common Stock	10,500		10,500	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. Options became exercisable in three installments on the first anniversary of the grant, for a term of 10 years from date of grant (first exercisable date listed).

2. On December 15, 2005 the Board of Directors voted to accelerate the vesting and exercisability of any outstanding unvested and unexercisable non-qualified stock options granted to officers on March 22, 2005 effective as of December 19, 2005; provided, however, that transfer of shares acquired by such exercise is restricted until the date that the option would have been exercisable prior to such change. Such restrictions on transfer will expire as to 10% of the grant on the first anniversary of the date of grant, an additional 15% of the grant on the second anniversary of the date of grant, an additional 25% of the grant on the third anniversary of the date of grant and the remaining 50% of the grant on the fourth anniversary of the grant.

Remarks:

	/s/ Applebaum, Howard M	03/15/2007
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
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