Prolly because you arrived from over water. Years ago in another life I used to arrive into JFK from the south side, sometimes late at night with no speed-sequencing.
Once you are more than 12 mi off the coast, the general speed limit does not apply. Cant remember what the STAR said, but remember steaming along at 300KIAS plus, until approx.14 mi off the NJ coast, or Long Island, on the radar, with ATC's blessing.