Ownership Submission
FORM 4
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
OMB APPROVAL
OMB Number: 3235-0287
Expires: January 31, 2005
Estimated average burden hours per response... 0.5

(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
Cardinale Gerald J.
  2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
GRIFFON CORP [GFF]
5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
__X__ Director _____ 10% Owner
_____ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
C/O GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO., 85 BROAD STREET
3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
02/04/2009
(Street)

NEW YORK,, NY 10004
4. If Amendment, Date 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
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 3)
2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)
4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5)
5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 3 and 4)
6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)
7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price
Common Stock 02/04/2009   A   2,122 (2) A $ 0 10,002,122 I See footnotes (1) (3) (4)

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
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 control number. SEC 1474 (9-02)

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 3)
2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)
5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4, and 5)
6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)
7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)
8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)
9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)
10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)
11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
Cardinale Gerald J.
C/O GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.
85 BROAD STREET
NEW YORK,, NY 10004
  X      

Signatures

 /s/ Yvette Kosic, Attorney-in-fact   02/06/2009
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(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).
(1) The Reporting Person is a managing director of Goldman, Sachs & Co. ("Goldman Sachs"). Goldman Sachs is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. ("GS Group"). The Reporting Person disclaims beneficial ownership of the securities reported herein except to the extent of his pecuniary interest therein, if any.
(2) On February 4, 2009, 2,122 shares of common stock, par value $0.25 per share (the "Common Stock") of Griffon Corporation (the "Company") were granted as 1,061 shares of Common Stock to each of the Reporting Person and Bradley J. Gross, a managing director of Goldman Sachs, in their capacity as directors of the Company pursuant to the Company's Outside Director Stock Award Plan (the "Plan"). Each grant of 1,061 shares vests one third on each of the next three anniversaries of the grant date, which was February 4, 2009.
(3) GS Group may be deemed to beneficially own 2,122 shares of Common Stock pursuant to the Plan, consisting of 1,061 shares of Common Stock granted to each of the Reporting Person and Bradley J. Gross. The Reporting Person and Bradley J. Gross each has an understanding with GS Group pursuant to which he holds such securities for the benefit of GS Group.
(4) GS Group and Goldman Sachs may be deemed to beneficially own indirectly, in the aggregate, 10,000,000 shares of the Company's Common Stock beneficially owned directly by GS Direct, L.L.C. ("GS Direct"). GS Direct is a wholly-owned subsidiary of GS Group. Goldman Sachs is the manager of GS Direct. GS Group, Goldman Sachs and GS Direct each disclaims beneficial ownership of the securities reported herein except to the extent of its pecuniary interest therein. Goldman Sachs has net open short positions of 312,989 shares of Common Stock.

Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.

Potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB number.