Sad to hear the great Gandolfini passed away.
He was so amazing on The Sopranos. He played such an iconic character -- probably the defining character of television in the 21st century to date.
That show didn't just capture life of a mob family in North Jersey. In a lot of ways, The Sopranos helped shape and define North Jersey. Tony Soprano went to my high school. I probably wrote at least 10 "THE SOPRANOS FILMED HERE!" stories for the different weekly newspapers I worked at in North Jersey from 1999 to 2003.
That show really got life in North Jersey more than anything else ever has or ever will (with apologies to Philip Roth). Gandolfini really captured the look of a man trapped in the ennui of life in the suburbs -- someone who can't escape who he really is no matter how badly he thinks he wants to. You don't have to lead a criminal syndicate to have those feelings, especially when they resonate when your uncle makes fun of your lack of talent as a high school football player.
