SEC FORM 3

SEC Form 3

FORM 3

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

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1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

Hirsch Fritz

(Last)

(First)

(Middle)

C/O SASSY, INC.

2101 WAUKEGAN RD., SUITE 203

(Street)

BANNOCKBURN

60015

(City)

(State)

(Zip)

2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year)
03/20/2008

3. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
RUSS BERRIE & CO INC [ RUS ]

4. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

	Director	10% Owner
X	Officer (give title below)	Other (specify below)
	President - Sassy

5. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 4)	2. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned (Instr. 4)	3. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
Common Stock, $0.10 stated value	4,600⁽¹⁾	D

Table II - Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 4)	2. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		3. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 4)		4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	5. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 4)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares	4. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	5. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 5)	6. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 5)
Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)	12/28/2005⁽²⁾	05/02/2015	Common Stock	75,000	$13.05	D
Employee Stock Option (Right to Buy)	⁽³⁾	12/27/2017	Common Stock	31,600	$16.77	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. Represents restricted stock granted on December 27, 2007 pursuant to the Issuer's 2004 Stock Option, Restricted and Non-Restricted Stock Plan (the "Plan"), which vests ratably over a 5-year period commencing December 27, 2008.

2. The Options were granted on May 2, 2005 pursuant to the Plan. Under the original grant terms, all such options vested ratably over a 5-year period commencing May 2, 2006, however, all such options were deemed vested as of December 28, 2005.

3. The Options were granted on December 27, 2007 pursuant to the Plan, and vest ratably over a 5-year period commencing December 27, 2008.

	/s/ Fritz Hirsch	03/27/2008
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 5 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number.