By JERRY BARMASH
(@jerrybarmash)
He was a Tony Award nominee, had numerous roles, mostly supporting, in films, but James Gandolfini will forever be Tony Soprano. He died yesterday of a massive heart attack in Italy. Gandolfini was just 51.
As the Don in HBO’s groundbreaking mafia drama The Sopranos, Gandolfini won three Emmy Awards as Tony Soprano. Gandolfini’s portrayal didn’t only earn him trophies, it won him praise from viewers and colleagues worldwide.
His legacy is cemented with the tortured role, where he battled with his family and the family business.
And yet, Gandolfini’s Soprano is recognized as one of the most endearing characters in television history.
He touched millions of people each Sunday night, but there are many others who were fortunate enough to have a personal connection with the TV giant. One of those is WCBS-FM’s Joe Causi (above with Gandolfini).
“I met him at various fundraisers. [He was] always doing good for so many charities,” Causi tells Tuned In.