"Who was J.P. Sinnott?" by: Mary Ingram, 1963

The biography of James Peter Sinnott is the story of a man who rose to the ranks of prominence in New York City.  James P. Sinnott, the youngest of six children, was born in 1861 in Collinsville, Connecticut.  With the untimely death of his father, the Sinnott family in 1866 decided to move to East New York in the Town of New Lots, where they opened a grocery store.  In order to help support the family, James left school when he was just twelve years of age and began work as an apprentice in a Manhattan shoe factory.  At the age of 25, Sinnott became Brooklyn's City Marshall.  He soon rose in the ranks of New York City government.  His jobs included that of Commissioner of the Board of Water Supply, his last post.  Being interested throughout his life in his community, James joined the New Lots Democratic Club.  In 1901, Sinnott became Democratic leader of the 22nd Assembly District, a post he retained until his death on September 10, 1928.  Despite his having to leave school at a young age, Sinnott was always attempting to add to his education.  Regretting his lack of formal education, James P. Sinnott provided his five sons with a college education.