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Thousands Expected For James Gandolfini's Funeral Today
By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 27, 2013
Modified Jun 27, 2013
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 27, 2013
Modified Jun 27, 2013
Share
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At 10 a.m., a private funeral is being held for James Gandolfini at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. The actor, a New Jersey native and NYC resident, died last week of a heart attack while vacationing in Rome.
A private wake for Gandolfini was held at the Robert Spearling Funeral Home in Park Ridge, NJ. The wife of Gandolfini's roommate from his Hoboken days said, "He is not Tony Soprano. He’s Buck from Rutgers who got lucky and became a star." There was no Sopranos memorabilia inside. A man who is married to Gandolfini's cousin told the Daily News, "It's a nightmare for the whole family. It's a horrible, horrible thing, everybody is just devastated."
Today, police and barricades are positioned outside the Morningside Heights church, with crowds of fans arriving to pay tribute to the late actor. One nearby resident who was lined up told the Star-Ledger, "He was an incredible actor. The show was about a gangster, but he still took care of his family. He reached out to people. I used to run home from work and watch my family." Another remarked, "The whole family, their friends, it was real. Even when he was killing people, I felt like they didn't just gloss over it. I never missed an episode, but I miss him."
Gandolfini's career spanned television, film and stage—last night, Broadway dimmed its lights in his honor. The funeral is reportedly being filmed by HBO as a private gift for the family.
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funeral
james gandolfini
st. john the divine
the sopranos
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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