By William Holt
The Lookout
LONG ISLAND — James Gandolfini, who passed away on Tuesday, will long be remembered for his consummate acting chops. For wrongly convicted Marty Tankleff of Long Island, however, the “Sopranos” star left an entirely different kind of legacy.
Years after Tankleff was convicted as a teenager for killing his parents in 1988, Gandolfini became a quiet supporter of the Long Islander as he fought for two decades to overturn the double-murder charge, the New York Daily News reports.
“Jim was loyal—it wasn’t like he did it for the publicity,” said Tankleff, 41.
Gandolfini learned about the case through Jay Salpeter, a former New York Police Department detective, while researching a role for the 2006 movie “Lonely Hearts.” Gandolfini met Tankleff soon afterward, driving several hours upstate to see him at Great Meadow Correctional Facility.
“He was a genuine, nice person you could sit down and eat dinner with,” said Tankleff. “He got involved with my situation when others were reluctant.”
Full story: Ex-inmate recalls Gandolfini’s support in case