Rest in peace, James Gandolfini. You will be missed. Fifty one is not an age to go. He had a big body, but an equally big heart.

Let us hear from those who knew and worked with him:

His managers Mark Armstrong and Nancy Sanders said, “It is with immense sorrow that we report our client James Gandolfini passed away today while on holiday in Rome, Italy. Our hearts are shattered and we will miss him deeply. He and his family were part of our family for many years and we are all grieving.”

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New Jersey Governor Chris Christie also paid tribute to Gandolfini, saying, “It’s an awful shock. James Gandolfini was a fine actor, a Rutgers alum and a true Jersey guy. I was a huge fan of his and the character he played so authentically, Tony Soprano. I have gotten to know Jimmy and many of the other actors in the Sopranos cast and I can say that each of them are an individual New Jersey treasure.”

He recently starred in “The Incredible Burth Wonderstone” and of course, we do remember his role in the Academy Award nominated movie “Zero Dark Thirty.”

He is survived by his wife and two children, a girl aged 9 months and a teenage son from a previous marriage.

The cause of death seems to be heart attack while holidaying in Rome. He was to attend a film festival there.

He is a gentle giant is how many describe him and we get to hear the Hollywood praising him as one of the great actors of all time.

That is a big compliment to someone who doesn’t star much on big screen, but mostly television.

His Tony Soprano character has been around for six years before it ended and his fans who were glued to the television everyday would sorely miss him as he was an inspiration to many.

Rest in peace.