The Free Market Worked Really Well for James Gandolfini

Playing a thug on television paid very well for James Gandolfini. NyPo reports he was estimated to be worth as much as $70 million, when he died.

He also understood the concept of private charity.

NyPo reports:

The benevolent “Sopranos” star left $50,000 in his will to college pal Doug Katz, who has a 12-year-old autistic son.

“I was shocked,” Katz told The Post yesterday of the gift, of which he learned of in a phone call from Gandolfini’s widow, Deborah Lin. “He’s my son’s guardian angel.”

Katz said Gandolfini, with whom he once roomed, has always been generous with Katz’s son, Andrew.

“He got him nutritional supplements, anything Andrew needed to help him lead a better life. Jim sponsored gymnastics for my son,” the grateful dad said.

“He always said, ‘How can we help? How can we make it better?’ And none of it was lip service.

“I’d rather have Jim alive than his money,” said Katz. “You could never meet a nicer guy in the world. He was the glue that kept us together.”

Gandolfini, who died of a heart attack on June 19 on vacation in Rome, also left $100,000 to young godson Robert Parish, whose mom, Brittany, is a longtime friend.

 Katz said he will put the money Gandolfini left him in a trust for Andrew---which will likely see the value destroyed by price inflation, if he isn't shrewd enough to convert the funds to inflation hedges like gold.