Sopranos actor James Gandolfini dies at 51

James Gandolfini, whose portrayal of a brutal, emotionally fragile mob boss in HBO's The Sopranos helped create one of TV's greatest drama series and turned the mobster stereotype on its head, has died in Italy. He was 51.
Gandolfini died on Wednesday while on holiday in Rome, the cable channel and Gandolfini's managers Mark Armstrong and Nancy Sanders said in a joint statement. No cause of death was given.
"He was a genius," said Sopranos creator David Chase.
"Anyone who saw him even in the smallest of his performances knows that. He is one of the greatest actors of this or any time. A great deal of that genius resided in those sad eyes. I remember telling him many times, 'You don't get it. You're like Mozart.' There would be silence at the other end of the phone."
Gandolfini played mob boss Tony Soprano in the groundbreaking series that aired from 1999 to 2007. His performance was indelible and career-making, but he refused to be stereotyped in other roles as the bulky mobster who was a therapy patient, family man and cold-blooded killer. He won three Emmy Awards for the role.
 May his sould rest in peace . Amen.

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