In the wake of James Gandolfini's death in Italy yesterday, HBO is planning to pay tribute to the man who brough Tony Soprano to audiences.

The 51-year-old actor played Tony Soprano from 1999 to 2007 on HBO's mobster hit show The Sopranos.  Gandolfini received rave reviews for his performance and won three Emmys during his time on the show.

To pay tribute to the indelible mark he left on the network, HBO is placing title cards, mourning his death, before reruns of The Sopranos. The card reads, "HBO mourns the loss of James Gandolfini, a beloved member of the HBO family." The card was first seen Wednesday night during a 10 p.m. rerun of The Sopranos on HBO Signature.

"He was a genius," said Sopranos creator David Chase in a statement on Wednesday. "Anyone who saw him even in the smallest of his performances knows that. He is one of the greatest actors of this or any time."  

"A great deal of that genius resided in those sad eyes," Chase revealed, "I remember telling him many times, 'You don't get it. You're like Mozart.' There would be silence at the other end of the phone. For [Gandolfini's family] this is crushing. And it's bad for the rest of the world. He wasn't easy sometimes. But he was my partner, he was my brother in ways I can't explain and never will be able to explain."

Interest in The Sopranos has increased since the news of Gandolfini's death. Season 1 of The Sopranos has jumped to No. 9 on the iTunes Most Downloaded TV Shows list. The pilot episode of the show sits at No. 43 on the Most Downloaded Episodes list.

The 51-year-old actor was in Rome, Italy at the time of his death. Gandolfini died of an apparent heart attack.

Watch a (NSFW) clip of Gandolfini's legacy on The Sopranos:

Tags: The Sopranos James Gandolfini hbo