Sadly, James Gandolfini, 51, the mafia boss star of hit US television series The Sopranos died yesterday while on vacation in Rome. The cause of death is not yet clear, though Italy’s press is reporting that Gandolfini suffered a heart attack.
Gandolfini was to have participated in the Taormina Film Fest in Sicily om June 22.

Multiple award winning actor Gandolfini was of Italian origins, his mother grew up in Naples, whereas Gandolfini’s father, James Joseph was a native of Borgotaro in the Emilia region of Italy. Gandolfini was a regular visitor to Italy and owned a Vespa which he rode around New York.
Tributes to the late actor have been filling up Twitter and Gandolfini’s death has come as a complete surprise to many.

Stop reading, start speaking
Stop translating in your head and start speaking Italian for real with the only audio course that prompt you to speak.
I’ve caught a few episodes of The Sopranos here in Italy and thought it was superb television. That Gandolfini won awards comes as no surprise, although, reputedly, he got into acting by chance, which is surprising.
James Gandolfini is survived by his wife Deborah Lin, and the couple’s child Liliana Ruth Gandolfini. He also had a son Michael, by his ex-wife, Marcy Wudarski.