James Gandolfini Died: The Man Who Made Tony Soprano a Television Icon Passes Away at the age of 51

James Gandolfini, the man who made Tony Soprano one of the most famous characters in television history, passed away at the age of 51 Wednesday, according to The New York Times. The Times said his death was confirmed by HBO.

Gandolfini’s cause of death was not immediately publicized although there is some speculation that he died from either a heart attack or a stroke. He had been in Rome and planned to attend the Taromina Film Festival.

Gandolfini is famous for his role as Tony Soprano on HBO’s “The Sopranos.” The Bergen, County, N.J. native played the lead role on the show that ran for six seasons.

“The Sopranos” signified a turning point for both Gandolfini and HBO. The series—the story of a New Jersey mob boss and his family—helped validate the company in the original programming market. The show showed Gandolfini was not just a run-of-the-mill actor but a legitimate star.

The series captured two Emmy Awards for outstanding drama series. It helped Gandolfini land three Emmys for outstanding lead actor in a drama.

Gandolfini, whose birth name was James Joseph Gandolfini Jr., was not raised with a glamorous life. He grew up in Park Ridge, New Jersey. His father had jobs such as a janitor, bricklayer and cement mason. His mother, whose name was Santa, worked as a lunch lady in a high school.

Gandolfini went to Park Ridge High School and Rutgers University. He graduated with a degree in communications in 1983. He worked as a truck driver, bartender and nightclub manager until a friend took him to an acting class at age 25, which sparked his interest.

Gandolfini has acted in productions such as “Shock! Shock! Shock!”, a Broadway remake of “A Streetcar Names Desire,” “True Romance,” and “The Juror.” Then, in 1999, he got his big break when the show’s creator David Chase cast him as Tony Soprano. He actually didn’t think he was going to get the part.

“I thought it was a wonderful script,” Galdolfini said in interview with Newsweek in 2001. “I thought, ‘I can do this.’ But I thought they would hire someone a little more debonair, shall we say. A little more appealing to the eye.”