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 premier 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 in Toronto 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.
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: Autopsy confirms heart attack as cause of Gandolfini's death, official tells CNN
- Doctors will provide a final report on his death later in the day
- Gandolfini was taken to a Rome hospital Wednesday after falling ill at his hotel
- The actor was scheduled to receive an award at an Italian film festival
Rome (CNN) -- An autopsy has confirmed that actor James Gandolfini died of a heart attack, an Italian official familiar with the autopsy results told CNN on Friday.
Gandolfini, 51, died Wednesday while vacationing in Italy. Hotel staff reportedly had to break down the door to his bathroom to get to him after his son, Michael, alerted them.
Doctors had not noted any suspicious factors, such as alcohol, on his medical report, emergency room physician Claudio Modini said.
A van ferrying relatives of the deceased arrived Friday at the hospital morgue in Rome where his body lies. They were expected to speak to reporters about Gandolfini's death later.
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Died at his hotel
Gandolfini's son Michael alerted hotel staff after his father did not answer his knocks, said Tiziana Rocca, the head of a film festival the actor was scheduled to attend.
Staff then broke down a bathroom door to get to him, said Rocca, who spoke with Gandolfini's son by telephone.
The hotel called an ambulance.
Death certificate
Before Italian authorities can release his remains for transport back to the United States, the U.S. Embassy in Rome must issue a death certificate.
'Sopranos' cast mourns Gandolfini
The U.S. Embassy said it was "deeply upset" by the news of the actor's death, but had not received any official confirmation from local authorities.
It said the family will get assistance from the embassy when it requests it.
Had he survived
Gandolfini was to arrive Friday in Taormina in Sicily, a quaint town packed with historical architecture and nestled between lush green hills and the azure waters of the Mediterranean Sea.
There, he would have received an award at the Taormina Film Festival, set in the ruins of an ancient Roman arena.
Festival organizers announced their deep sorrow over his passing and will replace the award ceremony with a tribute to Gandolfini's lifetime achievements.
They believe that no one has ever portrayed the Italian-American saga as brilliantly as he did.
CNN's Hada Messia reported from Rome, and Faith Karimi wrote from Atlanta.
