Born in Queens, New York City, Sinagra graduated from Bayside High School and earned his undergraduate degree from the College of Emporia in 1972, where he majored in Accounting.
[2] During his mayoral tenure, East Brunswick Township's Council passed an ordinance forbidding cigarette vending machines effective January 1, 1991, making it the first municipality in the state to impose such a ban in the face of opposition from companies that supplied the machines to local establishments which planned to pose legal challenges to the township's ordinance.
[3] Sinagra first won election to the New Jersey Senate in 1991, when he defeated Democrat Harry S. Pozycki by a 53.5%-46.5% margin.
[2] Fulfilling a campaign pledge that he had made when first running for the New Jersey Legislature, Sinagra sponsored a bill passed by the State Senate in 1992 that would ban the practice of double dipping, in which elected officials served in more than one elected position simultaneously.
[5] The Senate passed legislation in May 1998 that had been sponsored by Sinagra, which required the installation of shock absorbing material around all equipment at all public and private playgrounds within five years and would require all wood or metal swing seats to be replaced with plastic within 15 years.