. >> jim gandolfini. how you doing, sir? what did you join the army?i wanted to protect the nation and protect it and punish those who seek to destroy it. >> it was one of those nights in the desert. >> i had my left hand on the steering wheel. i was smoking and the bomb went off. >> all i heard was screaming and everything went black. >> that was the trailer for the hbo film, "alive day memories: home from iraq." for more we're joined here in new york by the film's co- director is, jon alpert and matthew o'neil. the also corrected, "wartorn: 1861-2010." they were together in new york's downtown community television, a community media center based in chinatown where james gandolfini was a board member. you were nominated for an oscar for "redemption." honorsceived many including in the awards. we welcome you both back to democracy now! jamesalk about gandolfini. he was a friend of yours, and he did your films. >> he was a friend to many people. could crystallize him, he sort of believed in nobody left behind. he did not leave his high school friends be

remember him as tony soprano, the character he played, but i'm also going to remember him at jim gandolfini, a good friend and a talented guy. >> we'll have worldwide reaction and a report from milan. >>> president obama returned early this morning from europe to find a slew of challenges facing him. >>> plus, what are the rules for government drones in your neighborhood? new allegations that twa flight 800 was brought down by a missile. >>> and paula deen accused of racial and sexual discrimination. "early today" starts right now. >> announcer: this is "early today" for thursday, june 20th. >>> good morning. i'm richard lu i. we start with the shocking death of james gandolfini at just 51 years old. his portrayal garnered him worldwide fame. the actor was believed to have suffered a heart attack while in italy. his son was in the room when it happened. his character has endured as one of tv's most memorable characters. just this month, the writers guild of america named "the sopranos" one of the best written tv shows of all time. the creator was compared to mozart. he's one of the greatest

i never kissed a man before i kissed jim gandolfini. that's just how i was and i understand that everyone's telling the same story. he really cared for people. he wanted to do something to help people. he said, you know, i'm a celebri celebrity. i want to use this in a way that will help and he worked hard at it. he did a good job. >> before the sopranos started, it seemed like he was always playing characters named vinnie, angelo, tony, joey. his heritage was important to him. i read that he had reservations about the way italian americans were portrayed in the sopranos, he took that seriously. for all the italian mooks he played, i can say that because i'm italian, he explained himself as a 260 pound woody allen. was he type cast? >> any time he had a chance to play a different role, the director of the cia, he did a really good job. his community opportunities were good. he cared about community media, community television. he loved the high school kids that studied there. he gave them all cameras this year for christmas so that they

neither tony soprano nor jim gandolfini will ever be forgotten. lovely eulogy. thank you, too your ray. it's friday, june 21st. welcome to the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. just ask speaker boehner. >> i didn't come here to be speaker because i need aid fancy title and a big office. >> we have a disaster. >> it's a bunch of malarky. >> how we intend to proceed on immigration. >> idiots like paul ryan will vote for you. >> an that's a spanish word. >> the bill is not passed. >> what an indictment. >> i almost feel bad for baner. >> major amateur hour. >> there was never intention for our side to say we wanted to take away the safety net. >> the republicans inability to give a majority vote

vincent, the generosity, we hear about that, but that it was special with jim gandolfini.here he grew up with. when he had money he would give money. >> i think he was probably someone that would never be understood if it was made public. we go back a long time with him, and hakkensack university medical center, i'm on the board, he was very generous, all the time, you know, three, four, five times a year and i'd find about it through the back door. he never wanted the light shown on him. he's sweet and steady. he didn't have that up and down personality. he was level-headed and dependable, and just, you know, just a sweet guy. sweet. >> vince, did you know anything about him having any health conditions or anything like that? was he okay as far as you know? >> no. i mean, i know him since 1997 -- '92 actually, met him long before the show. what am i talking about? he was always solid. as a matter of fact i was with him two and a half weeks ago, i was with him a month ago, i was with him two months ago. no, just fine, great color and as a matter of fact he had started to t

tell us something about jim gandolfini that perhaps the public never gets to see about the man, the person. >> just to say that, you know, he was extremely gentle, tender, soft hearted, vulnerable, kind. yes, he was -- he was very funny, and you know, sharp tongued sometimes and explosive. this is not -- this is not a negative for me. i love passionate people. i love people with very high standards. you know, we would be rehearsing away, and rehearsals are just a time when everybody gets everything wrong over and over again and you work out together how you're going to get it right. he would sometimes beat the table just because sometimes he got a line wrong and this is what we're here for and i loved that. people said to him, you're going to be great and a big personality. he was -- he was a big personality but he was a humble and a gentle, tender man with high standards and a great, great talent. i mean, i hope you can hear, i had such genuine fondness for him as a person. everything about him. he had his own struggles with -- well, whatever they were, demons in his life that had to do w

. >> i work most often with jim gandolfini, who is so easy to be married to and to feel like was familyith me. it was just so easy to feel we had this long history together. and love acting with him. acting with him is like when you're a kid and you're playing, you know, house or something. it felt very ungrown-up, very unactory, we were just pretending and felt as real as anything has. it was an absolute joy. >> finish telling me about the day you collapsed. >> lorraine played his psychiatrist dr. melfi. >> great actor. when you work with someone who is better than you, you have to rise to the occasion. you either fall to the side or you rise to the occasion. and i guess when we just sit in those chairs, i kind of rise to the occasion. he's a brilliant actor to watch. he really is. >> that brilliance earned the actor multiple honors. >> hi. thanks. >> he won a trio of emmys, three screen actors guild awards and a golden globe for his work on the show. after accepting his first emmy in 2000, he spoke to the media backstage. >> i was very surprised. i was shocked. >> on that occasion he

neither tony soprano nor jim gandolfini will ever be forgotten. it's time for martin. >> that's a lovely eulogy. thank you, too your ray. it's friday, june 21st. welcome to the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. just ask speaker boehner. >> i didn't come here to be speaker because i need aid fancy title and a big office. >> we have a disaster. >> it's a bunch of malarky. >> how we intend to proceed on immigration. >> idiots like paul ryan will vote for you. >> an that's a spanish word. >> the bill is not passed. >> what an indictment. >> i almost feel bad for baner. >> major amateur hour. >> there was never intention for our side to say we wanted to take away the safety net. >> the republicans inability to give a majority vote to their own bill. >> the bible also says the poor will always be with us. >> 62 of your members voted against your bill. >> it also says if you don't work, you don't eat. >> are you worried. >> pick yourself up, dust yourself off. >> i've taken a lot of hits, a lot of hatchets thrown at my back. ♪ >> it is the fi

. >> i work most often with jim gandolfini who was so easy to be married to and to feel like was familyith me. it was just so easy to feel we had history together and love acting with him. acing with him is like when you're a kid and you're playing house or something. i felt very ungrown up and felt very unactry. it just felt as real as anything has. it was an absolute day. >> finish telling me about the day you collapsed? >> reporte >> when you work with someone who is better than you, you have to rise to the occasion. you are either rise to the occasion. >> hey, i'm serious. he's a brilliant actor to act with. >> hi, thanks. >> reporter: he won a trio of emmys, three screen actor guild awards and a golden globe for his work on the show. after accepting his first emmy in 2000, he spoke to the media backstage. >> i was very surprised. i was shocked. >> reporter: on that occasion, he offered his own thoughts on tony soprano. >> tries to do the right thing and screws everything up by doing that. kind of honeymooners kind of thing. >> reporter: in 2003, he threatened to leave the series in

we're going to look back at the legacy that was left behind by james gandolfini. jimto those who knew him and the many who loved him. we're going to talk to one man who said that man on your screen changed tv forever. in parks across the country, families are coming together to play, stay active, and enjoy the outdoors. and for the last four summers, coca-cola has asked america to choose its favorite park through our coca-cola parks contest. winning parks can receive a grant of up to $100,000. part of our goal to inspire more than three million people to rediscover the joy of being active this summer. see the difference all of us can make... together. hoo-hoo...hoo-hoo. hoo-hoo hoo. sir... i'll get it together i promise... heeheehee. jimmy: ronny, how happy are folks who save hundreds of dollars switching to geico? ronny: i'd say happier than the pillsbury doughboy on his way to a baking convention. get happy. get geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more. >>> james gandolfini was an actor long before he shot to fame in "the sopranos," and he didn'

jim gandolfini's life. good man and a great actor. we also have an update now.was born completely deaf and became the first child to get an implant and we showed you the incredible video from hearing his father for the first time. that's what he's pointing at. this morning grayson and his parents are here live and we'll talk to them in just a minute. but, first, we'll look at why this little boy is capturing so many hearts. >> hi, grayson. talk to him, daddy. >> daddy loves you. >> a baby's first experiences are a wonder to any family. but a moment like this is a miracle. >> can you hear daddy? >> reporter: 3-year-old grayson clamp isn't saying his first words, he's hearing them. listening to his father's voice for the first time. >> that's you. grayson. >> this video has gone viral. social media exploding with well wishes. oh, my god, grayson clamp hearing his daddy tell him he loves him for the first time. absolutely amazing. grayson clamp is precious. so happy for him. >> reporter: he was born without the nerves that carry sound to the brain. that's when doct

. >> reporter: gandolfini brought his 13-year-old son michael, who just graduated from junior high. >> jim was a really happy guy. especially because he had just had a baby daughter eight months ago, he and his wife. he was extremely happy. and he was healthy. there was nothing wrong with him. so this came as a total surprise and a shock. >> reporter: the autopsy revealed gandolfini died of a heart attack due to natural causes. >> you have known james a long time. what were your lasting memories be? >> a really happy guy, who sometimes could be the funniest man in the world. he should have been a comedian. >> reporter: michael kobold told us gandolfini's generosity was endless, if he heard somebody on the radio who was in need, a complete stranger, that he would try to figure out how he could help. david. >> so many family and friends echoing that, thanks to you. when we come back, the jolt from starbucks many weren't expecting, it wasn't the caffeine. if you are on facebook, the security alert this evening affecting millions of users, in our instant index just ahead. g. to treat my low te

gandolfini. mary, what could you have? >> jimmily friend tells reporters it was a heart attack and thus natural causes that killed the star actor best known for his role as tony soprano. gandolfini's son apparently alerted hotel staff wednesday after his father failed to respond to repeated knocks on the bathroom door. the staff then broke down the door and called an ambulance but it was too late. funeral services are being planned for next week. >> police in massachusetts are searching for clues that could help determine what happened to a 27-year-old man found dead less than a mile from the home of new england patriots tight end aaron hernandez. the nfl player has remained silent amid reports he's being questioned by police. three search warrants have reportedly been issued in the case. the victim, who is said to have been friends with hernandez, apparently died of a gunshot wound. much more on the story in our next hour. >> and on a completely different note, call it a new direction in celebrity baby names. north west. that's

gandolfini that we didn't know about? we certainly feel we know him from his portrayal of that character. >> jim had a temper, he had some demons. he struggled with those while making the show. he was also a really shy and reserved and generous individual as well. you hear all the time when you talk to the crew anyone who has worked with him, he was really salt of the earth in terms of his celebrity. he was always uncomfortable it not because he was aloof or arrogant didn't think such a big deal should be made about him doing his job. he told my colleagues would you ask a guy who drives a truck how he does it. he was complicated. when he had darker moments he could channel that into the character and he helped push david chase to make tony a darker more uncompromising character. >> one thing also being remembered, he produced two documentaries about veterans issues for hbo. so what more about gandolfini's life and career can be held up for his legacy? so many people would attribute "the sopranos" and that character to him. he has a bigger legacy than him. >> any time you saw him in a movie it was a small part. yet you wo

autopsy performed on the body of actor james gandolfini confirmed what authorities thought all along that he died of a heart attack due to natural causes. >> jim was happy. he was healthy. he was doing really type. i mean, he is on vacation with his son. he has an 8-month-old daughter. you know, everything was going great. i just spoke to him on father's day. >> reporter: now the friend of the family, who is allowed to speak to the media, told thanks james gandolfini spent a wonderful day at the vatican with his teenaged son, michael, on wednesday afternoon. that in the even willing, the pair had a nice dinner the hotel restaurant. unfortunately, later on in the day, he collapsed in the bathroom. the hotel staff was called to the room and they had to break down that door which was locked. nbc news was told after that he was rushed to the hospital but unfortunately, he was pronounced dead about 40 minutes later there. well now, the press was told it may take about ten days initily to go through the paperwork to release the body to so the family can bring it back home. but also told us that they are trying their best to get help from the italian

. >> a soprano's co-star says gandolfini was an incredible friend and actor. >> jim was a very humble guy. he had no airs about him. he did what he had to do and he put it all out there and that's what i think made him great. he was as down to earth as anybody could be. he would do anything for you if you asked him to do you a favor or you needed something. he was right there. it's a tragic loss that we have, we lost this guy. a great, great actor and a great friend. >> in real life gandolfini is being remembered as a gentle giant. he once described himself as a 260 pound woody allen. i want to bring in barbie in rome. how are people reacting in rome to gandolfini's sudden death? >> reporter: people are shocked here. they really consider him one of their own. his mother was born and raised in naples. and he really, you know, exemplifies this italian-american persona. he did it well. italians always, i think, thoughtsopranos" certainly is what their italian cousins were doing in the united states. it wasn't something that necessarily reflected the culture here. he was loved and respect

gandolfini. that's it for "the lead." i turn you over to jima who is filling in for wolf blitzer in "the situation room." jim? >> thanks, jake. happening now, wall street's worst day of the year, fears of what the fed will do or more precisely won't do send the dow down more than 350 points. >> it's called a border surge, doubling the number of agents and doubling the 700 mile fence. and game on. as the heat and spurs get ready to decide the nba championship tonight, lebron james talks to cnn's rachel nichols. wolf blitzer is off today. i'm jim acosta and you're

jim's thing. he always helped people. >> reporter: there's been an outpouring of affection for gandolfini by his hollywood colleagues. >>gentle. you know? just a gentle giant. and just had a magnificent heart. >> it is a loss. a great actor. but he was a great man, you know? good things to say. >> reporter: new jersey governor chris christie has ordered the flag at all state buildings to be flown at half-staff on monday, in honor of their native son. the gandolfini family hopes to be back in the states in the next few days and have the funeral in new york by the end of the week. >> so many medical questions about this story. let's bring in abc's chief health and medical editor, dr. rich besser. 51 years old. i can't get over that. how unusual is that? >> i think it's more common than most people would think. each year, 10,000 people under 55 die of a heart attack. >> we don't know much about his medical past. but we haven't heard reports that he was experiencing heart problems in the past. is it unusual that he would just have a heart attack now? >> one out of every two men and two out of every three women who die of a

they're in a new hbo documentary that came about because james gandolfini visited iraq and came home believing their stories needed to be heard. >> jimd i talked about iraq when we met during the filming of the last year of the "sopranos." i knew you were working on this. i knew this had become a passion of yours. what have you learned doing this? >> i went there. i came back. i was struck by the silence of what's going -- you know, here in this country about what's going on over there. when i talked to these soldiers, i was struck by -- you can be cynical on both coasts, wherever you are, honor, duty, loyalty to your country. it hit me. i guess some people forget about that or don't think about it. and i think -- >> i understand. >> just talking about the project brings out real emotion. talking about the war does the same. >> you say in the documentary one of your guys apologized to you for not welding more armor onto the humvee. >> though the documentary has no political point of view. >> jim, you were careful carefup politics a mile away from this documentary. why? >> i wanted to hear what they had to say, and i think sometimes w

gandolfini. that's it for "the lead." i turn you over to jim acosta who is filling in for wolf blitzer in "the situation room." jim? >> thanks, jake. happening now, wall street's worst day of the year, fears of what the fed will do or more precisely won't do send the dow down more than 350 points. >> it's called a border surge, doubling the number of agents and doubling the 700 mile fence. and game on. as the heat and spurs get ready to decide the nba championship tonight, lebron james talks to cnn's rachel nichols. wolf blitzer is off today. i'm jim acosta and you're in "the situation room." >> we're starting with the big blow to wall street and most certainly your retirement accounts. the dow plummethed almost 350 points today and over 500 in two days. tom, what's happened here? >> ben bernanke came out and said we're going to back off of this government program that has helped push the economy along and that has sent the markets in a tail spin. he used the word "taper", he's going to taper the program. what does that mean? well, imagine the

gandolfini at 51. he had a sense of humor when asked about death just a few years ago. >> finally, jim, if heaven existsat would you like to hear god say when you arrive at the pearly gates. >> take over for a while, i'll be right back. no, no, no, no. >> that's it! >> no, no, no. dare not change it. it's too good. it's too good. >> our tribute to tony soprano. that's next on "the five." >>> well, james gandolfini's autopsy results haven't come back yet, but doctors in rome say he died of cardiac arrest yesterday while on vacation in italy. now, the tributes are pouring in today. his former soprano's co-star, edie falco, says james had a kindness and generosity that was beyond words. and show creator david chase says he was a genius. he played a mobster, but a lot of his fans also saw tony soprano as a family guy. >> you're going to have families of your own. and if you're lucky, you'll remember the little moments, like this. that were good. cheers. >> boy, were we robbed of real talent. greg, he was a really talented actor, one of the best, and greatest, i think, of our times when you look back on him.

gandolfini at 51. he had a sense of humor when asked about death just a few years ago. >> finally, jim, if heaven exists, what would you like to hear god say when you arrive at the pearly gates. >> take over for a while, i'll be right back. no, no, no, no. >> that's it! >> no, no, no. dare not change it. it's too good. it's too good. >> our tribute to tony soprano. that's next on "the five." [ kitt ] you know what's impressive? a talking car. but i'll tell you what impresses me. a talking train. this ge locomotive can tell you exactly where it is, what it's carrying, while using less fuel. delivering whatever the world needs, when it needs it. ♪ after all, what's the point of talking if you don't have something important to say? ♪ if you don't have (girl) w(guy) dive shop.y?? (girl) diving lessons. (guy) we should totally do that. (girl ) yeah, right. (guy) i wannna catch a falcon! (girl) we should do that. (guy) i caught a falcon. (guy) you could eat a bug. let's do that. (guy) you know you're eating a bug. (girl) because of the legs. (guy vo) we got a subaru to take us new places. (girl) yeah, it's a

gandolfini, just knew him or admired him in the industry. other celebrities and act tors. one film he did with steve carell and jim carry and olivia wild and olivia wild tweeted a little while ago it was such a sad, sad day and she was proud to have shared the screen with him for a little bit. jim carry said he was not available for interviews. you were talking a lot about how the sopranos changed the face of television and that's a lot what we're hering, as well, piers. that people are really validating that and saying tony soprano could, in fact, be the best -- one of, if not the best charters on modern day television, and he played it with such ease and skill and fear, all of those things we love about television these days. so there is, again, just a lot of positive reaction, a lot of people saying they will miss james gandolfini. >> neshel thank you. we've been on the phone with kevin o'rourke. kevin, thank you for joining me and my deep condolences to you and the actors that worked on the sopranos. a sad day. >> a very sad day. he was a generous and loyal actor and supportive of the other people on the show.

jim's passing, i consider him a friend. the love between tony and carmela was one of the greatest i've ever known. soprano as creator called gandolfini

jim was really a very humble guy and he didn't feel -- i don't think he felt that he should be treated that way. >> most recently gandolfini 2009, he was on broadway with the comedy "god of carnage." he leaves behind his wife. they married in 2008 and had a little girl last year. he also had a 13-year-old son from a previous marriage. james gandolfini was 51 years old. we are asking for our viewers' feedback on facebook and twitter about their favorite scenes from the spa knows -- sopranos. >> steve: there is a new story about his 13-year-old son, he was traveling with his father and he called out for help when he discovered that his father had collapsed and he's the one who got the ambulances to come for him. >> gretchen: he's going to be remembered for bringing the mortal story to the small screen. for more on that, we bring in peter johnson, jr. >> he was a spectacular actor. i used to see him, driving his vespa. he had an accident on it and had knee surgery. but i think we remember him best for "the sopranos" because in it, he brought the anxieties of american life to an outlaw character, to a gangster figure. so wheth

gandolfini was. he's a people person first. and then, everything else. >> and you inspired him, much the way that robert de niro inspired you because jim talked about seeingarly on in your career, you looked to robert de niro. and now, you're playing with him. >> that's how the cycle works. my dad sold tires to james' father. and he would see pictures of me on the wall. >> proud daddy. >> and he decided he wanted to be an actor. and then, when i was younger, you know, de niro was setting the bar for a higher quality of realism. and so, it was in the days of "raging bull," and "new york, new york," where someone really became the thing they were portraying. you really became a boxer. you really became a sax player. and i became a disco dancer in "saturday night fever." it paid off. my first movie i got an oscar nomination for going the distance, like he did. >> we've seen two big boys on the screen with this one, let me tell you. you more than hold your own, both of you. and to tell people about it, de niro's character is an american war vet. you are a foreign tourist. you're trying to make us feel that you're a tourist. of course, you are -- >> i'm a serb

jim's body back sooner. once we have the clearance, we will put him on a flight to america. >> with the latest now from los angeles, cnn's stephanie elam. stephanie, gandolfiniocked in a hotel bathroom. what happened? >> now we know it was just natural causes that killed james gandolfini. michael cobalt who you heard in that press conference earlier today in rome saying nothing was found in that autopsy. he had been happy enjoying the vacation earlier on the day he died. his took his son, michael, teenage son to the vatican before eating dinner at the hotel where they were staying. michael then became worried about how long his father had been in the bathroom. because his dad did not answer his knocking, michael alerted the hotel staff who then knocked down the door and called emergency services. doctors attempted to resuscitate him. that's took for, like, 40 minutes they were working on him. but they were unable to restart his heart. we do know now his wife deborah lynn and their 8-month-old daughter were also traveling with the actor. now the family as you just heard is really focused on getti inti fwandle f gandolfini back to the united states and hope th