James Gandolfini, Emmy-winning actor was 51

The star of HBO's sensation "The Sopranos" has reportedly died in Italy of a heart attack or a stroke. He was 51.

TMZ says that Gandolfini was in Italy to attend the 59th Taormina Film Festival in Sicily -- "and he was scheduled to participate in a festival event this weekend with Italian director Gabriele Muccino."

"Gandolfini is survived by his wife Deborah Lin, who gave birth to the couple's daughter in October 2012. He also has a teenage son from a previous marriage," says TMZ.

Gandolfini won three Emmy awards for his performances in the role of Tony Soprano. He was more recently in "Zero Dark Thirty," playing the director of the CIA. His IMDb page. In 2009 he was nominated for a Tony Award for best actor in a play for "God of Carnage."

HBO confirmed the news this afternoon. "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,” HBO said in a statement.

"Jimmy was the spiritual core of our ‘Sopranos’ family, and I am stunned at this devastating loss. He was a great talent, but an even better man,” said Starz CEO Chris Albrecht, who greenlighted “Sopranos” in his previous role running HBO.