Sopranos actor James Gandolfini dies of possible heart attack in Italy

James Gandolfini, the burly actor best known for his Emmy-winning portrayal of a conflicted New Jersey mob boss in the groundbreaking TV series The Sopranos, died on Wednesday while vacationing in Rome, HBO said.

Gandolfini, 51, died of a possible heart attack, HBO spokeswoman Mara Mikialian told Reuters.

Since The Sopranos ended its six-season run in June 2007, Gandolfini has appeared in a number of big-screen roles, including Zero Dark Thirty, a film about the hunt for Osama bin Laden, and the comedy The Incredible Burt Wonderstone.

At the time of his death, Gandolfini had been working on an upcoming HBO series titled Criminal Justice. HBO declined to elaborate on the series other than to say that it was in development and that Gandolfini was a part of it.

“We’re all in shock and feeling immeasurable sadness at the loss of a beloved member of our family,” the network said in a statement. “He was a special man, a great talent, but more importantly, a gentle and loving person who treated everyone, no matter their title or position, with equal respect.”

Gandolfini broke ground with his signature portrait of Tony Soprano, the head of a fictional New Jersey mob family, in The Sopranos.