Gandolfini 'found by his teenage son'

Michael Kobold, who described himself as a close family friend, read a short statement to reporters on Thursday and said little more about the circumstances of Gandolfini's fatal attack.

He did not say who discovered Gandolfini, but NBC quoted Antonio D'amore, manager of the Boscolo Excedra hotel, as saying it was Gandolfini's 13-year-old son, Michael.

Gandolfini, star of The Sopranos, was pronounced dead of cardiac arrest at a Rome hospital late on Wednesday night.

Gandolfini had appeared in advertisements for Kobold's company, Kobold Watches.

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Gandolfini was pronounced dead at 23:00 on Wednesday in Rome after being taken by ambulance to the Policlinic Umberto I hospital. Dr Claudio Modini, head of the hospital emergency room, said Gandolfini arrived at the hospital at 22:40 and was pronounced dead after resuscitation efforts in the ambulance and hospital failed.

An autopsy would be performed starting 24 hours after the death, as required by law, he told The Associated Press.

The actor, known for his tortured portrayal of Italian-American mob boss Tony Soprano in the drama series The Sopranos, was to have given a special class at the Taormina Film Festival, an annual festival that takes place against the backdrop of Taormina's spectacular Roman amphitheater. Actor Jeremy Irons gave a similar class earlier in the week.

Later Saturday, Gandolfini was to have been given the Taormina City Prize before attending the festival's closing ceremony alongside actress Marisa Tomei.

Festival organisers Mario Sesti and Tiziana Rocca said instead they would organise a tribute "to celebrate his great achievement and talent." They said they had heard from Gandolfini a few hours before he died and "he was very happy to receive this award and be able to travel to Italy."

The US Embassy in Rome, which said it had learned about the death from the media, said it would be available to provide a death certificate and help prepare the body for return to the United States. The embassy said it can often take between four and seven days to arrange for it to be sent outside of Italy.

The embassy spokesperson declined further comment, directing inquiries to the family.