James Joseph Gandolfini Jr. (Italian: [ɡandolˈfiːni]; September 18, 1961 – June 19, 2013) was an American actor. He was best known for his role as Tony Soprano, the Italian-American Mafia crime boss in HBO's television series The Sopranos, for which he won three Emmy Awards, five Screen Actors Guild Awards, and one Golden Globe Award. Gandolfini's portrayal of Tony Soprano has been described as one of the greatest and most influential performances in television history.