Twitter Mourns Tony Soprano After James Gandolfini's Death

After the shocking death of James Gandolfini on Wednesday, thousands of Twitter users took to the mini-blog to share their condolences over the actor’s untimely death. The 51-year-old was best known for playing Tony Soprano on the hit HBO series “The Sopranos,” which told the story of a fictional Italian mob family.

Though Twitter has been known to start grave rumors and even make celebrity death hoaxes famous, this seems to be a sad but true fact; as People.com confirmed, the actor died from a heart attack while vacationing in Italy.

Joseph R. Gannascoli, who played Vito on "The Sopranos,” told TMZ: "James is one guy who never turned his back on me. He was the most humble and gifted actor and person I have ever worked with." He added, "He was a great man and I will forever be indebted to him. "

The New Jersey-born native played an anxiety-ridden mobster on the hit show, and the role turned him into a household name. The impact that his character had on people could be seen minutes after the actor’s death was announced. Not only was “James Gandolfini” a trending topic on Twitter, but so was Tony Soprano and “The Sopranos.”

Here’s what son of Gandolfini’s fans had to say about the three-time Emmy winner's tragic passing:

Gandolfini is survived by his wife Deborah Lin who just gave birth to their daughter in October of 2012 and a son that he had from a previous marriage.