James Gandolfini died during a bonding trip with his teenage son.

The 'Sopranos' actor tragically passed away in Italy yesterday after suffering a massive heart attack and it has now emerged he was joined on the trip by his young offspring from his first marriage, according to TMZ.

The 51-year-old star had planned a "guys' trip" to spend time with his son Michael before attending the Taormina Film Festival in Sicily.

The teenager's mother, James' first wife Marcy Wudarski, is said to have immediately booked a flight to Italy to be with her son after learning of the actor's death.

Meanwhile, tributes have begun pouring in for the late star, who earned critical acclaim and three Emmy Awards for his role as mob boss Tony Soprano in the hit HBO drama.

The US pay channel said in a statement: "We're all in shock and feeling immeasurable sadness at the loss of a beloved member of our family. He was a special man, a great talent, but more importantly a gentle and loving person who treated everyone, no matter their title or position, with equal respect. He touched so many of us over the years with his humour, his warmth and his humility.

"Our hearts go out to his wife and children during this terrible time. He will be deeply missed by all of us."

'The Sopranos' creator and writer David Chase added: "He was a genius. 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. 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 Deborah and Michael and Liliana 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."

James is survived by his son Michael, as well as his second wife, Deborah Lin, and their eight-month-old daughter Liliana.