On Monday, a crowd of devoted fans of Luigi Mangione braved the freezing temperatures outside a Manhattan courthouse, eager to catch a glimpse of the man accused of murder during his hearing.
About a hundred enthusiastic supporters, many dressed as Luigi from Super Mario, gathered outside the courtroom well before the alleged Ivy League assassin was expected to face a judge.
Mangione, 27, hailing from a wealthy Maryland family, is alleged to have shot the CEO of America’s largest medical company on a Midtown sidewalk a year ago.
Since his arrest, Mangione’s court appearances have consistently drawn a large following of devoted fans.
“We live in a time of rampant human rights abuses. If they can violate the rights of attractive white men, what hope is there for the rest of us?” remarked Jonathan Garthrell, 36, from Queens, ahead of Mangione’s appearance.
Jasmine Flores, a 29-year-old private chef from East Harlem, even spent $150 on an Uber just to join the line.
“It’s crucial for me to be here because he’s innocent,” she insisted, despite the fact that Mangione has claimed he was caught on video and later photographed with the murder weapon.
However, not everyone was able to secure entry.
Alexa Modugno, 35, from Manhattan, expressed her disappointment after almost getting a chance to meet Mangione.
“There were only two tickets left,” she said, frustrated. “They were handing out tickets to those in line, but they cut it off at 24. I was too late, at 26. I just want to support Luigi and challenge the stigma around mental health issues.”
