Soprano Was Wise Guy, Gandolfini 'Nice Guy'

While Tony Soprano whet his palate with the finest Italian cuisine, James Gandolfini wasn't shy about baloney sandwiches.

The New Jersey native bought his Tewksbury Township home in 2009, tax records show, for $1,500,000. After moving to the area, Gandolfini, his wife Deborah Lin, and his son Michael would frequent the General Store in Oldwick, employees said.

"He was a really nice guy, and his wife was a sweetheart," said General Store cook Adrian Kribs. The actor ordered everything from baloney sandwiches to egg white omelettes and came into the small shop on Rt. 517 as much as twice a week.

Gandolfini enjoyed the local fare so much, he even struck a deal with Kribs, despite the store's no breakfast after 11 a.m. policy.

"He told me if I made [eggs] after 11 a.m., he'd come back with a signed photo of himself," Kribs said with a smile.

Unfortunately, the autographed portrait never came. And sadly, it never will.

Gandolfini, a Bergen County native who attended Rutgers, was in Italy for the Taormina Film Festival, at which he was expected to make an appearance during the closing gala on Saturday.

"He is one of the greatest actors of this or any time," Sopranos creator David Chase said in a statement. "A great deal of ... genius resided in those sad eyes. I remember telling him many times, ‘You don’t get it. You’re like Mozart'."

Gandolfini won three Emmys and an army of fans for his portrayal of the equally murderous and humorous mob scion Tony Soprano, a product of the streets of Newark who lived with his dysfunctional family in a stately home in North Caldwell.

While Gandolfini enjoyed local foods off the screen, Tony Soprano was no stranger to dining on screen.

At Holsten's ice cream parlor in Bloomfield, a "reserved" sign was placed on the table where the Soprano family dined on onion rings before the series famously cut to black, a small tribute to Gandolfini.

"He was a very nice man and a real professional when the cameras were rolling," said Chris Carley, the owner of Holstens.

Did you ever meet James Gandolfini or cross his path in New Jersey? What was it like? Tell us about your experience in the comments!