A spokesman for James Gandolfini's family said Friday that they hope to bury the "Sopranos" actor in New York next week.
Michael Kobold said in Rome that the actor died after a "wonderful day" in the city Wednesday and had no drugs or alcohol in his system. He said Italian officials had officially confirmed the cause of death as a heart attack.
Kobold said it could take up to 10 days to repatriate Gandolfini's body, but that the family hopes Italian authorities will clear the way for an earlier return so that he can be buried in New York next Thursday, Friday or Saturday, NBC News reported.
"James came here on a vacation with his family… he had a wonderful day. He visited The Vatican and had dinner at the hotel with his son awaiting the arrival of his sister. Today we received the results of the autopsy, which stated he died of a heart attack, of natural causes. The autopsy further states that nothing else was found in his system," Kobold said.
"We are all devastated by this loss. James was a devoted husband, a loving father of two children, a brother and cousin you could always count on. We thank you for the privacy you have afforded us during this difficult time."
More to come…
