NJ governor orders flags flown at half-staff for ‘Sopranos’ star, NJ native James Gandolfini

TRENTON, N.J. – New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff Monday in memory of “Sopranos” star and New Jersey native James Gandolfini.

Gandolfini died Wednesday in Rome at age 51. A family spokesman says he suffered a heart attack.

The governor’s order says Gandolfini was an iconic actor who “left a timeless impact upon television and film in the state of New Jersey and across our nation.”

Gandolfini was born in Westwood, N.J., grew up in Park Ridge and attended Rutgers, the state’s flagship public university.

The governor says the actor acclaimed for his role as mobster Tony Soprano was also an advocate, in two documentaries, for U.S. servicemen and women and veterans.

Christie has called Gandolfini a “New Jersey treasure.”