The bearded mobster was caught in an altercation at JFK airport yesterday after being pursued by an overzealous autograph hunter who declared himself a big fan of the actor.
The affection was clearly not mutual, with an irritated Gandolfini grabbing the man by his collar and punching him, claiming he came to close to his girlfriend Deborah Lin.
After the fan said he wanted to find out how to be a Soprano, Gandolfini quipped: Well, that's how you do it'
With the fan declaring he "didn't want to get whacked," the 46-year-old star eventually had a change of heart - he ended the encounter with a handshake and even posed for a photograph.
