R.I.P James Joseph Gandolfini Jr

James Joseph Gandolfini, Jr. (September 18, 1961 – June 19, 2013)
James Gandolfini was born in Westwood, New Jersey.His mother, Santa, a high school lunch lady, was born in the USA of Italian ancestry and raised in Naples, Italy. His father, James Joseph Gandolfini, Sr., a native of Borgotaro, Italy, was a bricklayer and cement mason, and later the head custodian at Paramus Catholic High School in New Jersey. James, Sr. also earned a Purple Heart in World War II.Gandolfini's parents were devout Roman Catholics and spoke Italian at home. Due to such influence, Gandolfini had a strong sense of being Italian, and regularly visited Italy.
Gandolfini grew up in Park Ridge and graduated from Park Ridge High School in 1979, where he played basketball and acted in school plays.He was awarded the title "Class Flirt" in his senior yearbook. He held a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication studies from Rutgers University, where he worked as a bouncer at an on-campus pub. Gandolfini also worked as a bartender and club manager prior to pursuing an acting career. Gandolfini was introduced to acting as a young man living in New York City, when he accompanied a friend, Roger Bart, to a Meisner technique acting class.
Career