James Gandolfini Cause Of Death? 'Sopranos' Actor Died Of Cardiac Arrest At 51 [ VIDEO]

Fans were shocked to learn of the death of James Gandolfini. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife and two young children. CBS has confirmed through a hospital in Rome that the official cause of death for Gandolfini was cardiac arrest.

According to the American Heart Association cardiac arrest is the abrupt loss of heart function. It can occur without warning in a person who may or may not have been diagnosed with heart disease. Cardiac arrest can come upon a person suddenly and without showing any symptoms.

The American Heart Association website says a cardiac arrest and a heart attack are not the same thing but are often confused for one another. A heart attack is due to a blockage in the person's heart that stops the flow of blood to the heart sometimes resulting in death.

Cardiac arrest results in death when the heart's electrical system malfunctions. These malfunctions can be caused by an abnormal heart rhythm also known as an arrhythmias.

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James Gandolfini was best known for his role as tough guy mob boss, Tony Soprano on the hugely successful HBO series "The Sopranos." Gandolfini enjoyed a long career as a film, stage and television actor. Recently he starred alongside Steve Carell and Olivia Wilde in the magician comedy "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone."

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Before Burt Wonderstone Gandolfini appeared alongside Jessica Chastain in the critically acclaimed film about the hunt for Osama Bin Laden, "Zero Dark Thirty."

Costars from "The Sopranos" have been on CNN and other news shows talking about James Gandolfini and his larger than life personality. They have described him as an actor who took his craft seriously and was not interested in celebrity fame. Cast mates have also said Gandolfini's real life personality was vastly different from the character he portrayed on "The Sopranos."

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Twitter has seen an out pouring of sympathy at the loss of actor James Gandolfini, Olivia Wilde, Steve Carell and even the New York Rangers have all tweeted their sympathies and tributes to James Gandolfini.