Four Things About Luigi Mangione

He was a high achiever

Numerous news organizations have reported that Mangione was valedictorian of the 2016 graduating class of the Gilman School, a prestigious all-boys prep school in Baltimore. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 2020 with a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in engineering. The New York Times reported that he was member of the Penn’s chapter of Eta Kappa Nu, an academic honor society for students in electric and computer engineering that restricts membership to the top third of the senior class

He came from a prominent Baltimore family

The Wall Street Journal described the Mangiones as a “well-known Italian-American clan” that in 1977 founded Lorien Healthcare, an assisted living and nursing home business that lists nine locations in Maryland on its website and bills itself as “a family-owned and operated organization that was founded by and conducts itself based on strong family values.” The Baltimore Banner reported that Mangione’s late grandfather, Nicholas Mangione Sr., was a self-made real estate developer who owned country clubs, nursing homes and a radio station. According to the Journal, the family developed the Turf Valley Resort, a spa and conference center in Ellicott City, Maryland, and the Hayfields Country Club in suburban Baltimore. Nino Mangione, Luigi Mangione’s cousin, is a Republican member of Maryland House of Delegates, the lower house of the Maryland legislature.

He had fallen out of touch with friends and family

The Times, the Journal and other news organizations reported that Mangione had stopped communicating with friends and family. The Times quoted a school friend as saying that he had received a forwarded message that his family was looking for him. Other acquaintances described Mangione as disappearing and not replying to messages. Several news accounts say that he may have had back surgery in late 2023 and that he started to disengage after the surgery.

His writings mention UnitedHealthcare

New York City police said Mangione had a three-page handwritten document in his possession when he was arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania yesterday. The Times article about Mangione that was posted last night says the 262-word document starts with the writer taking responsibility for the killing of Brian Thompson. According to the newspaper, the document references the growth in UnitedHealthcare’s market capitalization as American life expectancy declines. The writer of the document also says that author was working alone.