Sing Sing Football Records
(1931-1936)
Sing Sing Black Sheep
Sing SIng State Penitentiary
(Ossining, New York)

Sing Sing Black Sheep
1931     (5-1-0)   coach: Tim Mara
 11/15 W 33-0  Ossining Naval Militia  2,500
 11/22 L    0-13  Port Jervis Police Department  7,000
 11/26 W 13-7  White Plains Bulldogs  
 11/29 W 18-6  Poughkeepsie All-Stars  2,300
 12/6 W 18-2  Wakefield Bears (Bronx)  2,347
 12/13 W 26-0  White Plains Steamrollers  1,291
1932     (7-2-2)   coach: John Law
 10/2 W 19-6  Clover Athletic Club  
 10/9 W 12-0  Irwin Post (American Legion- Bronx)  2,700+
 10/16 W   7-0  Port Jervis Police Department  
 10/23 L    7-18  Kingston Yellow Jackets  
 10/30 W 14-0  Clifton Wildcats (N.J.)  
 11/6 W 15-0  Peekskill Inter-Nos  paid: 550
 11/13 W 46-0  Bronx Parkway Club  paid: 700
 11/20 T    6-6  Danbury Trojans (Conn.)  3,370
 11/24 W   7-0  Riverside Athletic Club (Washington Hts.)  paid: 200
 11/27 L    0-7  Port Jervis Police Department  paid: 500
 12/4 T    6-6  Bayside Athletic Association  
1933     (9-1-0)   coach: John Law
 9/24 W 36-0  Holy Name Club (Williamsbridge)  
 10/1 W 38-6  Irwin Post  
 10/8 W 15-6  Newark Cyclones  
 10/15 W 40-13  Port Jervis Police Department  
 10/22 W 19-13  KIngston Yellow Jackets  2.904
 10/29 W 26-0  Peekskill Inter-Nos  
 11/5 W 27-0  Italian-American Democratic Club (Astoria)  
 11/12 L     6-7  Danbury Trojans (Conn.)  
 11/19 W 26-6  City Island Athletic Club  paid: 600
 11/26 W    3-0  Mamaroneck All-Stars  2,650
1934     (8-3-0)   coach: John Law
 9/23 W 24-0  Holy Name Club  2,200
 9/30 W 47-3  Guradian Athletic Association (Peekskill)  
 10/7 W 26-0  Kingston Yellow Jackets  
 10/14 W  [not found]  
 10/21 W 41-0  Port Jervis Police Department  
 10/28 W   6-0  Bridgeport Roses (Conn.)  
 11/4 W 31-3  Hello Athletic Club of Newburgh  3,000+
 11/6 L    0-18  New Rochelle Bulldogs  3,500
 11/11 W 12-6  City Island Athletic Club  
 11/18 L    0-7  Fitton Athletic Club (Boston)  
 11/25 no game  Mount Vernon Indians  
 11/25 L   7-20  New Rochelle Bulldogs  
1935     (7-3-0)   coach: Harry Von Kersburg
 9/22 W 38-0  Monroe Bulldogs (Bronx)  2,100
 9/29 W 28-6  White Plains Bears  paid: 800
 10/6 L   7-13  New Rochelle Bulldogs  
 10/13 W 46-0  Inter-Nos (Peekskill frat)  
 10/20 W 41-6  Waukegan Indians (N.Y.)  2,700
 10/27 W 19-0  Albany Knickerbockers  paid: 700
 11/3 no game  Danbury Trojans (Conn.)  
 11/3 W 26-0  Zylonite Club (North Adams, Mass.)  
 11/10 L   7-17  Danbury Trojans  
 11/24 canceled  Kingston Yellow Jackets  [snow]
 12/1 W 15-7  City Island Skippers  
Prison Bowl
 12/8 L   6-10  White Plains Bears  [post-season]
1936     (3-0-0)   coach: Harry Von Kersburg
 9/27 W  Tuckahoe Trojans  
 10/11 W 54-0  Kingston Yellow Jackets  
 10/18 W 46-0  Ridgelawn (N.J.)  
 Notes:
 • In 1931, new prison reforms allowed Sing Sing State Penitentiary prisoners recreation opportunities, including participation in sports teams and theatrical presentations. The baseball and football teams, and the vaudeville presentations and concerts, were funded through revenue from paid attendance. Equipment, salaries for coaches. This was not without controversy. "Why should prisoners have fun?" boils down the opposition's arguments.
 • Tim Mara was the owner of the New York Football Giants, who sponsored the Sing Sing team, providing equipment and uniforms and players to tutor them in fundamentals. He helped coach them the first season.
 • Known as the Black Sheeps, they were also sometimes called the Zebras.
 • All games were “home” games, played at Lawes Stadium. For Warden Lewis E. Lawes, not Coach Law.
 • Due to the rule against leaving the prison, the proposal one season to play a team from the Washington State Penitentiary was impossible.
 • In 1935, the starting quarterback and two other starters escaped the morning before a game. Alabama Pitts had been their starting QB, and star for the first four seasons, but had served his sentence and been released.
 • Another star was Moon Byrd, who had played at a “Negro” college. The Black Sheep were integrated.
 • In 1932, “graduate” Jumbo Morano was signed by the Giants, and played for the Paterson Nighthawks of the Eastern Football League. Upon release, Alabama Pitts played for the Philadelphia Eagles in 1935, as well as the Danbury Trojans, among other semi-pro teams.
 • In 1934. State Commisioner of Correction, Walter N. Thayer put in a new regulation, banning the advertising of activities at the prison, including football games.
 • On 10/19/1936, a new rule banned ticket sales. No revenue would be allowed on admission to shows and sports events. This money was paying for charity for prisoner's families, especially the executed's kin. Also for equipment and coach's salaries. With this new edict, the rest of the season was ended and football at Sing Sing, outside intramural, was ended.
 • The Sint Sincks sold their land to Frederick Philipse in 1685. He incorporated it into his land, called the Manor of Philipsburg.
 • The last Lord of the Manor was a British loyalist, and after the revolution, the land was confiscated and became called Sing Sing.
 • On 4/2/1813, Sing Sing became the first incorporated village in Westchester County
 • The Sint Sints or Sint Sinks or Ossine Ossine tribe (maybe the Sesanguas) gave name to the site. The Dutch changed it to Cinque Singte or Sinck Sinck. The original Munsee Delaware name meant “stone upon stone” or “at the small stones”. Another version has it as Ossin Sing- “the place of stone”.
 • Another theory has the name coming from the Chinese Governor Tsing Sing, and brought over by a Dutch sailor who traded with the Celestial Empire. This is probably false.
 • Settlers called the village, Mount Pleasant, but due to the prison it became known as Ossinsing which became Ossining which became the official town name in 1902.
 • In 1825, 100 prisoners from Auburn State Prison were barged down the Erie Canal, and constructed their own new prison. Sing Sing opened in 1826.
 • Sing Sing is on the Hudson River. From this arose the expression of “up the river” referring to being in or going to prison. First used in 1891.
 • 614 people (8 women) were executed on “Old Sparky” at Sing Sing, the last in 1963.

Cartoon and article from The Troy Times, Troy, N.Y., October 15, 1934, titled Penal Institution Football, by 'Lank' Leonard, about the Sing Sing Black Sheep football team.

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Updated 7/19/2014