James Gandolfini's family and close friends gathered in New Jersey on Wednesday (26Jun13) to pay their respects to the late actor at a private wake.

The Sopranos star died on 19 June (13) after suffering a fatal heart attack in Rome, Italy and his body was repatriated on Sunday night (23Jun13) ahead of an invitation-only viewing of his body at the Robert Spearing Funeral Home in Park Ridge.

Gandolfini's widow Deborah Lin and his sisters were spotted arriving for the memorial, while his eight-month-old daughter Liliana was carried in covered by a blanket, according to E! News.

Police patrolled the area to ensure the wake stayed private, but fans filled the street to pay their respects.

One of Gandolfini's relatives, Bob Price, told CBS, "Of course it's difficult. This man was like everybody's hero and it was just the worst thing in the world that could possibly have happened."

A funeral for the 51 year old is set to be held in New York on Thursday morning (27Jun13) at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, and the Gandolfini family has requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Wounded Warrior Project.

They said the group, which helps injured servicemen, was "an organisation which James was very passionate about and supported in countless ways".