Jersey Guy Gandolfini Funeral to be Held in NYC Cathedral – Odd? [POLL]

I saw the headline on my twitter feed yesterday, and it hit me the same way when funeral arrangements were being made for Senator Frank Lautenberg.

I thought, “…how odd! Shouldn’t the funeral for James Gandolfini be held in New Jersey?”

If you remember, the funeral for Senator Lautenberg was held in a temple in Manhattan, at which point I mused, "...couldn't they find a shul big enough here?"

In the case of Gandolfini, when all is said and done, does any of it really matter?
Quick answer, no!

But after all the glowing tributes given to a man lauded as the quintessential “Jersey Guy”; even to the point of having the flags lowered for him, which I still think was a misjudgment on the part of the Governor, I would have thought the funeral should be held in a setting here as opposed to across the river.

Again, this is totally the family’s decision, and I understand that.

Perhaps they wanted a setting where the glitterati could attend and feel more comfortable.

The Cathedral of St. John the Divine is located high above the Hudson in Upper Manhattan across from Columbia University, and has hosted the funerals of a number of high profile personalities.

But were it to be in New Jersey, I’d think the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark would have fit the bill.

Vast, so as to accommodate the large number of people who I’d assume would be attending; and since it’s the largest church in the State, located in the State’s largest city; holding the funeral there would have been more in keeping with the image of the actor of being Jersey’s Own.

But that’s just me.