EMOTIONAL CROWDS BEGAN gathering hours in advance of the New York city funeral of James Gandolfini today.

The actor – a three-time Emmy winner for his portrayal of New Jersey mobster Tony Soprano – died last week after a heart attack in a hotel in Rome, where he was on holiday. He was 51.

‘Sopranos’ fans began converging on the massive Manhattan cathedral that will play host to the star’s funeral early this morning.

“We’ve been up since 4:30,” said Stephanie Solana, a fan of “The Sopranos” who traveled to the Upper West Side from The Bronx with her two granddaughters to pay her respects.

“My heart is broken. It is really bad for the fans, but he will always live on for me. We’ll never forget him.”

Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey, Alec Baldwin and Edie Falco, who played Gandolfini’s on-screen wife Carmella, were among the hundreds of mourners arriving – along with dozens of actors who had roles in the long-running HBO series.

Read: ‘He was one of the greatest actors of this or any time’ – Sopranos creator David Chase >

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