Where was actor James Gandolfini born?

James Joseph Gandolfini Jr. (September 18, 1961 – June 19, 2013) was an American actor and producer best known for his role as 'Tony Soprano', the Italian-American crime boss in HBO's television series 'The Sopranos'.

He won three Emmy Awards, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and one Golden Globe Award. Gandolfini's performance as Tony Soprano is widely regarded as among the greatest performances in television history.

Gandolfini was born in Westwood, New Jersey. His mother, Santa (née Penna), was a high school food service worker of Italian descent who was born in the United States and raised in Naples.

His Italian-born father, James Joseph Gandolfini Sr., was a native of Borgo Val di Taro, in the Northeastern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, who worked as a bricklayer and cement mason and later the head custodian at Paramus Catholic High School.

Gandolfini grew up in Park Ridge, New Jersey, and graduated from Park Ridge High School in 1979, where he played basketball, acted in school plays, and was awarded the title "Class Flirt" in his senior yearbook.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Communications from Rutgers University in 1983, where he worked as a bouncer at an on-campus pub. He also worked as a bartender and club manager in Manhattan prior to his acting career.

He was introduced to acting as a young man living in New York City, when he accompanied his friend Roger Bart to a Meisner technique acting class.