UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 4
STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
( ) Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16.
Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instructions 1(b).
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person
Pinto, James J.
366 Round Hill Road
Greenwich, CT 06831
USA
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Empire of Carolina, Inc.
EMP
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)
4. Statement for Month/Year
March 31, 1999
5. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Year)
6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
(X) Director (X) 10% Owner ( ) Officer (give title below) ( ) Other
(specify below)
7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
(X) Form filed by One Reporting Person
( ) Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
1. Title of Security |2. |3. |4.Securities Acquired (A) |5.Amount of |6.Dir |7.Nature of Indirect |
| Transaction | or Disposed of (D) | Securities |ect | Beneficial Ownership |
| | | | Beneficially |(D)or | |
| | | | | A/| | Owned at |Indir | |
| Date |Code|V| Amount | D | Price | End of Month |ect(I)| |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
<S> <C> <C> <C><C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
Common Stock |3/24/9|A | |105,000 |A |N/A |3,701,252 |* |* |
|9 | | | | | | | | |
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
<CAPTION>
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Table II -- Derivative Securitites Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
1.Title of Derivative |2.Con- |3. |4. |5.Number of De |6.Date Exer|7.Title and Amount |8.Price|9.Number |10.|11.Nature of|
Security |version |Transaction | rivative Secu |cisable and| of Underlying |of Deri|of Deriva |Dir|Indirect |
|or Exer | | | rities Acqui |Expiration | Securities |vative |tive |ect|Beneficial |
|cise | | | red(A) or Dis |Date(Month/| |Secu |Securities |(D)|Ownership |
|Price of| | | posed of(D) |Day/Year) | |rity |Benefi |or | |
|Deriva- | | | |Date |Expir| | |ficially |Ind| |
|tive | | | | A/|Exer-|ation| Title and Number | |Owned at |ire| |
|Secu- | | | | | D |cisa-|Date | of Shares | |End of |ct | |
|rity |Date |Code|V| Amount | |ble | | | |Month |(I)| |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C><C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
</TABLE>
Explanation of Responses:
On March 24, 1999 the Company issued 105,000 shares of unregistered Common
stock to Mr. James Pinto in consideration for his services as a
Director and as a member of the Executive
Committee.
*Includes: 132,500 shares of unregistered Common Stock in addition to 24,500
shares of Series A Preferred Stock and 2,613,252 Warrants which
may be converted into 2,809,252 shares of Common Stock owned directly by Mr.
Pinto. Also includes 72,500 shares of Series A Preferred Stock and
62,500 Warrants which may be converted into 642,500 shares of Common Stock
owned by TelCom Partners, L.P. of which Mr. Pinto is the sole
general partner. Also includes 13,000 shares of Series A Preferred Stock and
13,000 Warrants which may be converted into 117,000 shares of
Common Stock owned by Churchill Associates, L.P., of which Mr. Pinto owns 50%
of the sole general partner, Churchill, Inc.
SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
\s\ James Pinto
DATE
April 8, 1999