James Gandolfini's teenage son, Michael, found the actor collapsed in their Italy hotel room and called for help. The two were on a father-son vacation.
The manager of the hotel in Rome where Gandolfini and his son were staying told the "Today" show the young boy found his father collapsed in the bathroom around 10 p.m. local time Wednesday. The 51-year-old actor was still alive when the ambulance arrived, but was later pronounced dead at the Policlinico Umberto I, a hospital just a three-minute drive from the hotel.
Gandolfini arrived at the hospital in cardiac arrest, according to ABC News. Resuscitation efforts, which paramedics began in the ambulance, continued for 40 minutes, Prof. Claudio Modini, director of the Emergency Department of the Policlinico, told the network.
Gandolfini and his son were on a "guy's trip," according to TMZ. The getaway was for both pleasure and business. They were celebrating his son's eighth grade graduation and the actor was set to attend the Taormina Film Festival in Sicily.
Michael's mother and the "Sopranos" star's first wife, Marcy Wudarski, flew to Italy to be with her child, TMZ reported.
Those close to Gandolfini, including his HBO family, expressed utter grief following his untimely passing.
"We're all in shock and feeling immeasurable sadness at the loss of a beloved member of our family," HBO said in a statement to The Huffington Post. "He was special man, a great talent, but more importantly a gentle and loving person who treated everyone no matter their title or position with equal respect. He touched so many of us over the years with his humor, his warmth and his humility. Our hearts go out to his wife and children during this terrible time. He will be deeply missed by all of us."
An autopsy will take place Friday to determine if the cardiac arrest resulted from a heart attack and if there were mitigating circumstances, ABC News notes. After the autopsy, his body will be brought back to the United States.
Gandolfini is survived by his wife, Deborah Lin, his 8-month old daughter, Liliana, 8 months, and his son, Michael.
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