The sudden passing of James Gandolfini on Wednesday night left his fans and close friends shocked and looking for answers on what killed the seemingly healthy 51-year-old. The cause of death has yet to be determined, but new details on his last moments have emerged.
According to reports, Gandolfini was staying at Boscolo Exedra hotel in Rome with his wife Deborah Lin, their 9-month-old daughter Liliana, his 13-year-old son Michael, and several other family members. He was supposed to be honored with an award at the Taormina Film Festival in Sicily this weekend, but on Wednesday night around 10 o’clock Michael found him stricken in the bathroom. The teen quickly called for help and Boscolo Exedra employees attempted to assist Gandolfini until paramedics arrived. The Sopranos actor was still breathing when he was loaded into the ambulance, but by the time he reached Policlinico Umberto I hospital he had stopped breathing.
"We can confirm that the 51-year-old man was brought here. Upon arrival… we found his heart had already stopped," a hospital rep told Us Weekly magazine.
The actor’s assistant, Tom Richardson, spoke to USA Today about Gandolfini’s final day. "We all had a marvelous day together, and when he returned to the hotel Jimmy [Gandolfini] went to the bathroom and that is where something happened," he said. "His sister said he was still alive when the ambulance took him away."
Gandolfini was pronounced dead at 10:40 p.m. and his body was transferred to the morgue early Thursday to await an autopsy. Italian law requires the autopsy be performed within 24 hours of death. It is widely believed that Gandolfini died of a heart attack.
Once a death certificate is issued by the U.S. Embassy, Gandolfini’s body can be transported back to the United States for burial.
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