MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS — The funeral for Sopranos star James Gandolfini will be held at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine on Thursday morning at 10:00 a.m., an HBO rep confirmed Monday.
"The remains of James Gandolfini have been returned to the United States from Rome, Italy," the spokeswoman said.
The Emmy-award winning star died of a heart attack at age 51 last Wednesday. He was in Italy for an appearance at the Taormina Film Festival.
Fans are puzzling over the choice of an Episcopalian cathedral for the funeral of the actor, who is Catholic.
"Uber Jersey boy Italian/Catholic gets NY Protestant funeral," tweeted New Yorker Ellen O'Neill.
"I wonder why no Catholic funeral?" wondered Patricia Beal on the social media site.
The 121,000-square-foot Morningside Heights church at West 112th Street and Amsterdam Avenue is the largest Gothic cathedral in the United States and has hosted the services of other public figures, including author John Gregory Dunne and Madeleine L'Engle.
The cathedral did not respond for request for comment on the details of the service, nor would HBO elaborate on the choice of venue.