James Gandolfini Inducted into New Jersey Hall of Fame

James Gandolfini was honored posthumously by being inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame on Thursday.

Cast members from The Sopranos gathered at the induction ceremony last night at Convention Hall in Asbury Park.

As reported at yahoo.com:

Five cast members of the hit HBO drama were on hand as Gandolfini, who played mob boss Tony Soprano, was honored, as much for his love of the state as for his TV fame.

His fellow actor made that clear:

"Hey, J stands for Jersey and for Jimmy," said Vincent Pastore, who played mobster Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero. "Jimmy should be remembered for his work, for his love of his family and for his compulsion to let people know how great New Jersey is. It was beyond perfect that he played a mob boss from New Jersey."

Gandolfini was a native of Westwood and graduated from Rutgers University.

He won three Emmy awards for his masterful portrayal of Tony Soprano.

Aida Turturro, who played Tony's sister Janice, said Gandolfini had "the biggest, most sweetest heart ever. He was a true friend. I was his sister in many ways."

He died in Italy in 2013 at age 51.

The New Jersey Hall of Fame is an organization that honors individuals from the state who have made contributions to society and the world beyond.

The museum has no permanent location, but back in June of 2013 it introduced a "mobile museum" which tours the state.