8-K

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              WASHINGTON, DC 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT
     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


DATE OF REPORT (DATE OF EARLIEST EVENT REPORTED)         MAY 2, 2003
                                                 ----------------------------

COMMISSION FILE NUMBER:                      1-5273-1
                       ---------------------------------------------------------


                                STERLING BANCORP
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             (EXACT NAME OF REGISTRANT AS SPECIFIED IN ITS CHARTER)


         NEW YORK                                       13-2565216
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(STATE OF OTHER JURISDICTION                            (IRS EMPLOYER
 OF INCORPORATION)                                      IDENTIFICATION NO.)


         650 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK, NEW YORK           10019-6108
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES)                (ZIP CODE)

                                 (212) 757-3300
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              (REGISTRANT'S TELEPHONE NUMBER, INCLUDING AREA CODE)


                                       N/A
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              (FORMER NAME, FORMER ADDRESS AND FORMER FISCAL YEAR,
                         IF CHANGED SINCE LAST REPORT)

ITEM 5
OTHER EVENTS

On May 2, 2003, the Company issued a press release announcing a presentation on
May 7, 2003 by John C. Millman, President of Sterling Bancorp, and by Michael
Bizenov, President of Sterling National Mortgage Company, Inc., as part of the
Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc. New York Bank Field Trip and Conference. The press
release is included herein as Exhibit 99.1.

ITEM 7
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, PRO FORMA FINANCIAL INFORMATION AND EXHIBITS

       
(a)       Financial Statements of the Business Acquired.
          Not Applicable


(b)       Pro Forma Financial Information
          Not Applicable

(c)       Exhibits
          99.1     Press Release dated May 2, 2003



                                    SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

DATE:    May 5, 2003



BY:      /s/ JOHN W. TIETJEN
         -----------------------------------
         JOHN W. TIETJEN
         Executive Vice President, Treasurer
         and Chief Financial Officer

                                  EXHIBIT INDEX




Exhibit
Number
- ------
       
 99.1     Press Release dated May 2, 2003.

EX-99.1

                                                                               .
                                                                               .
                                                                               .
                                                                    Exhibit 99.1


                                  (STERLING LOGO LETTERHEAD)



CONTACT:

                                                 
John W. Tietjen                                     Denise Roche
Chief Financial Officer                             Investor Relations/ Media
Sterling Bancorp                                    The Ruth Group
Tel: (212) 757-8035                                 Tel: (646) 536-7008
Fax: (212) 757-8287                                 droche@theruthgroup.com
john.tietjen@sterlingbancorp.com




        STERLING BANCORP TO PARTICIPATE IN KEEFE, BRUYETTE & WOODS, INC.
                    NEW YORK BANK FIELD TRIP AND CONFERENCE


NEW YORK, May 2, 2003 -- Sterling Bancorp (NYSE: STL), the parent company of
Sterling National Bank, announced today that John C. Millman, President of
Sterling Bancorp, and Michael Bizenov, President of Sterling National Mortgage
Company, Inc., will be making a presentation as part of the Keefe, Bruyette &
Woods, Inc. New York Bank Field Trip and Conference, being held May 6-8, 2003.

Mr. Millman and Mr. Bizenov will speak at approximately 4:30 PM on Wednesday,
May 7, 2003. The PowerPoint slides used in the presentation will be posted on
the Company's Web site, http://www.sterlingbancorp.com/ir/050703.pdf, later that
day.

Sterling Bancorp (NYSE: STL) is a financial holding company with assets of $1.6
billion, offering a broad array of banking and financial services products. Its
principal banking subsidiary is Sterling National Bank, founded in 1929.
Sterling provides a wide range of products and services, including business and
consumer loans, commercial and residential mortgage lending and brokerage,
asset-based financing, factoring, trade financing, equipment leasing, corporate
and consumer deposit services, trust and estate administration, and investment
management services. The Company has operations in the metropolitan New York
area, as well as North Carolina and many mid-Atlantic States and conducts
business throughout the U.S.

This press release may contain statements including but not limited to,
statements concerning future results of operations or financial position,
borrowing capacity and future liquidity, future investment results, future
credit exposure, future loan losses and plans and objectives for future
operations, and other statements contained herein regarding matters that are not
historical facts and that are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of
the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are not
historical facts but instead are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and
uncertainties, and represent only the Company's belief regarding future events,
many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of its
control. Any forward-looking statements the Company may make speak only as of
the date on which such statements are made. It is possible that the Company's
actual results and financial position may

                                                                    Exhibit 99.1


differ, possibly materially, from the anticipated results and financial
condition indicated in or implied by these forward-looking statements. Factors
that could cause the Company's actual results to differ, possibly materially,
from those in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to,
the following: inflation, interest rates, market and monetary fluctuations;
geopolitical developments including acts of war and terrorism and their impact
on economic conditions; the effects of, and changes in, trade, monetary and
fiscal policies and laws, including interest rate policies of the Board of
Governors of the Federal Reserve; changes, particularly declines, in general
economic conditions and in local economies in which the Company operates; the
financial condition of the Company's borrowers; competitive pressures on loan
and deposit pricing and demand; changes in technology and their impact on the
marketing of new products and services and the acceptance of these products and
services by new and existing customers; the willingness of customers to
substitute competitors' products and services for the Company's products and
services; the impact of changes in financial services laws and regulations
(including laws concerning taxes, banking, securities and insurance); changes in
accounting principles, policies and guidelines; and the success of the Company
at managing the risks involved in the foregoing as well as other risks and
uncertainties detailed from time to time in the Company's press releases and
other public filings. The foregoing list of important factors is not exclusive,
and the Company will not update any forward-looking statements, whether written
or oral, that may be made from time to time.