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Tony Soprano never let anyone take his money. The actor who played him left $70 million, and a choice in his will meant about $30 million was expected to go to the government In the video below, James Gandolfini in 2000, on stage with The Sopranos cast, a year after the show made him a star He died of a heart attack in Rome in June 2013. He was 51 His will gave $1.6 million to friends and relatives, then split the rest: 30% to one sister 30% to his other sister 20% to his 9-month-old daughter 20% to his wife, Deborah That split is where it went wrong In the US, anything you leave your spouse passes free of estate tax. No limit. Leave it to anyone else, and above the exemption federal and New York taxes together could reach about 55% He gave his wife 20%. The other 80% was exposed Estate lawyer William Zabel read the will for the New York Daily News and called it "a nightmare from a tax standpoint" And because the tax came off the top, his wife's 20% was a share of what was left, not of $70 million His teenage son Michael was the exception. His share came through life insurance and a trust, which the estate tax doesn't touch Tony would have found a way around the taxman. Jim signed a will that handed it over Was it a generous will that put family first, or the most expensive mistake of his life?