Gandolfini's body returns to U.S. for funeral services

The body of James Gandolfini, who died of a heart attack in Rome last week, was flown out of Italy Sunday on a flight bound for New York, Rome airport authorities said.

Gandolfini, best known for his leading role in the Emmy-winning series "The Sopranos," was found dead in his Rome hotel late on Wednesday.

The actor's body left Rome's Fiumicino airport around noon on a private flight, an airport official said.

Family friend Michael Kobold, speaking to reporters in Rome, credited the Italian authorities and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry for helping to accelerate procedures. Kobold also thanked former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton "for their kind support," according to Variety, a Hollywood trade publication.

Gandolfini's funeral is scheduled for Thursday at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine on the Upper West Side at 10 a.m., HBO confirmed on behalf of the Gandolfini family.