James Gandolfini, who gained fame playing a memorable mafia boss on HBO's "The Sopranos," died after suffering a possible heart attack in Italy on Wednesday, June 19. Pictured, Gandolfini at the premiere of "Zero Dark Thirty" in 2012.
Gandolfini and Jane Fonda attend an after-party for the HBO series "Newsroom" in Hollywood on June 20, 2012.
Gandolfini attends the Keep Memory Alive Foundation's Power of Love Gala celebrating Muhammad Ali's 70th birthday in 2012 in Las Vegas.
Gandolfini watches the New York Jets play the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on December 24, 2011, in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Gandolfini with his wife, Deborah Lin, at the premiere of HBO Films' "Cinema Verite" at Paramount Pictures Studio in Los Angeles in 2011.
Gandolfini arrives for the world premiere of "Violet & Daisy" at the Elgin Theatre during the Toronto International Film Festival on September 15, 2011.
Gandolfini arrives at the 2011 BAFTA Brits To Watch Event at the Belasco Theatre in Los Angeles.
Gandolfini visits with service members and civilians on Kandahar Air Field, Afghanistan, on March 29, 2010, during a USO tour.
Gandolfini, Jeff Daniels, Marcia Gay Harden and Hope Davis during the curtain call of the opening of the Broadway play "God of Carnage" on March 22, 2009, at the Broadway Theatre in New York.
Edie Falco and Gandolfini present the award for outstanding miniseries at the 58th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards in 2006.
Gandolfini attends the sixth season premiere of "The Sopranos" in New York in 2006.
Gandolfini speaks at the 9th Annual Critics' Choice Awards gala at the Beverly Hills Hotel in 2004.
Gandolfini poses backstage during the 55th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards in 2003 in Los Angeles.
The cast of "The Sopranos," from left, Tony Sirico, Steve Van Zandt, James Gandolfini, Michael Imperioli and Vincent Pastore.
Gandolfini with Edie Falco, left, and Lorraine Bracco at the DVD launch party for "The Sopranos: The Complete Fifth Season" in 2005 in New York.
Gandolfini accepts the Television Drama Award at the GQ Men of the Year Awards in 2000.
- NEW: Funeral to be held Thursday in Manhattan, family friend says
- He thanks Italian and U.S. authorities for expediting the process to have his body sent
- Gandolfini died last week in Rome
- The actor had been scheduled to receive an award at an Italian film festival
(CNN) -- The funeral service for "Sopranos" actor James Gandolfini will be held Thursday in Manhattan, a family friend told CNN on Sunday.
Gandolfini, who was on a working vacation in Rome, died Wednesday. An autopsy determined his death was the result of a heart attack, according to Michael Kobold, the family friend.
The actor's remains are scheduled to leave Rome on Monday and arrive in the United States the same evening, Kobold said. The service will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in Manhattan.
"On behalf of the Gandolfini family, I would like to thank the Italian authorities for all of the assistance they have rendered in expediting the formalities necessary to repatriate James Gandolfini's remains to the United States," Kobold said.
"We are fully aware that this process usually takes seven days and we are extremely grateful for their efficiency in dealing with this matter. We sincerely thank you."
When the news broke on Wednesday that "The Sopranos" star James Gandolfini died at 51, tributes poured in around the world, including CNN iReport. "So long, paisan" was how Orlando, Florida, resident Pat Tantalo chose to say goodbye to the friend he met on the set of the 2006 film "Lonely Hearts." "When Jimmy arrived, he was bigger than life. He shook everyone's hands and made sure he learned everyone's name. We were just finishing a production meeting and we introduced ourselves. We instantly connected. He planted his huge mitts on my shoulders and called me a little bull."
Randy Robinson worked on the set of "Lonely Hearts" as well. "When I first met him it took a little time for him to warm up to you, but after he did, he was like a big funny bear. He was very tired on many occasions on set. There was this old couch where he would lay down for a much-needed nap. He snored louder than a bear could growl. They actually had to wake him because the microphones would pick it up."
Julio Ortiz-Teissonniere met Gandolfini outside of his Broadway show, "God of Carnage," in 2009."I thought how cool it was when he spoke to a former classmate of his that was standing next to me waiting to get his autograph. He remembered her and he even asked about another classmate."
Farley pointed out that, as of Wednesday night, "Ice cream eaters can sit anywhere but the booth that Tony Soprano sat in during the very last episode. A reserved sign sits on the table alongside a newspaper dedicated to Gandolfini."
Neigbors and fans flocked to the home which was used as the home of the Sopranos to pay their respects. "The neighbors remember him as a friendly guy who would just come up and hug you. Though he played a criminal on television, they say he was one of the nicest men and always waved hello."
Farley saw a candle and a bag of pasta left in front of the driveway, in "Tony's" memory. "It was really interesting to listen to people call him Tony and not James. Everyone called him Tony, that's just who he is. He was an icon for New Jersey and it shows."
Art Frewin named his Wellin, Ontario, bar the "Bada Bing Roadhouse," inspired by "The Sopranos," and paid tribute on the sign outside his establishment when he heard the news. "I was sorry to see Tony ... James pass away. We'll always know him as Tony, you know. I thought he was a brilliant actor who played a brilliant part. I was very taken aback. 51 is way too young."
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The 51-year-old actor arrived in Rome with his son, Michael Gandolfini, a day before he died.
"Jim was happy, he was healthy, he was doing really fine," Kobold said. "He was on vacation with his son. He has an 8-month-old daughter. Everything was going great. I just spoke to him on Father's Day."
The same day Gandolfini died, he had visited the Vatican and dined with his son, the family said.
After he returned to his room, his son alerted hotel staff that he was not answering knocks on the bathroom door.
Hotel staff broke down the door to get to him and called an ambulance, said Tiziana Rocca, head of a film festival the actor was planning to attend.
Gandolfini was in Italy to receive an award at the Taormina Film Fest in the Sicilian town of Taormina.
Instead of the award ceremony, the festival paid tribute to Gandolfini's lifetime achievements.
The actor shot to fame on the HBO drama "The Sopranos." In the widely successful series, he played Tony Soprano, a tough New Jersey crime boss. He also appeared in various movies, including "Zero Dark Thirty" and "Killing Them Softly."
CNN's Jessica King and KJ Matthews contributed to this report
