What we know about Luigi Mangione's alleged list of 27 things he's grateful for
In June 2025, a list, titled, "27 Things I'm Grateful For," that was purportedly written by Luigi Mangione, the man accused of killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, spread on social media.
Multiple versions of the document circulated on Instagram, Facebook, Reddit and X. They contained the same text but had different numbers written in ink at the top ("#33" and "#45"), and the signatures at the bottom also varied — one just read "Luigi Mangione" while the other included a handwritten note thanking a recipient named Josiah.
However, as of this writing, the authenticity of the letters remained unconfirmed. While the jail he was being held in confirmed inmates can send printed messages, and the format of the letters appeared consistent with such messages, officials warned that such documents can be easily forged. The defense team has also noted that fake letters attributed to Mangione had circulated online.
Snopes was unable to independently verify the authenticity of the letters as it was not possible to obtain copies directly, and no relevant authority or representative officially confirmed their legitimacy. We contacted Mangione's representatives and attorneys to ask whether the letters were authentic. We will update this report if they reply.
The documents were formatted as TRULINCS printouts, the federal system used by inmates to send electronic messages without internet access. They were both dated June 3, 2025, and appeared online a week later, from June 10 onward.
"Last month, on May 6th, I turned 27 years old. To mark the occasion, I took some time to reflect on 27 things I'm grateful for," Mangione's alleged message started.
Among the items listed were the mail room of the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC), Brooklyn, where Mangione was being held, memes and "Latinas for Mangione." Some observers pointed to the 18th item, in which he was referred to in the third person: "The BOP music catalog. [Luigi is currently listening to "Television: The Drug of the Nation" by The Disposable Heroes of...]."
Others noted that the letter praised both conservatives "who fiercely conserve the aspects of our society that make us great" and liberals "who liberate us from the outdated aspects of our society that prevent us from being greater."
As of this writing, at least two versions of the letter could be found online, one labeled "#33" and another marked "#45," implying a series of individualized but, ultimately, similar responses. As mentioned above, the letters varied slightly in sign-offs. Letter "#33" featured "Luigi Mangione" in a signature style, whereas letter "#45" included a message in handwriting style.
Entertainment news outlet TMZ appeared to be the first to report on one of the letters. In a June 10, 2025, article, TMZ claimed it had "confirmed it's legit," and that it was "an electronic communication sent from MDC Brooklyn." The article linked to the letter marked "#33." However, the outlet provided no specific details on how it confirmed the document's authenticity. By June 11, TMZ had updated the article to remove the claim that the letter was "legit." As of this writing, that claim no longer appeared in the report.
Snopes contacted TMZ for clarification and will update this report if we receive a response.
Around the same time, an Instagram user with the handle @luigis_dirty_mullet posted the "#45" version of the letter (archived) that was addressed to a recipient named "Josiah" and included a handwritten note at the bottom reading: "Thanks for the birthday message. Never lose the plot, Josiah. — Luigi."
In the caption, the Instagram user insisted that the letter was authentic, writing:
In defense of my own record, this letter is totally legitimate. I have zero interest in faking any letter and I understand all the skepticism. The letter he sent was in response to a photo that I sent him nearing the mid of may. I don't have a laptop, or a printer. There-fore how could I fake it? I'm even willing to uncover my name if that helps for "transparency" I guess.
(Instagram user @luigis_dirty_mullet)
In the comments section, the user said "sent [Mangione] a photo with a message on it." In a comment under a separate Instagram post sharing the image, @luigis_dirty_mullet referred to the document as "my letterrrrrr."
The user also posted an image purportedly showing the envelope in which the letter was allegedly sent that included the return address of MDC Brooklyn and Mangione's Bureau of Prisons (BOP) number.
(Instagram user @luigis_dirty_mullet)
While the information on the alleged envelope matched the publicly available details about Mangione's location, it was not possible to independently verify its authenticity. Snopes contacted the Instagram user to request additional evidence, such as an unredacted postmark or the original message the user claimed to have sent to Mangione, but the person declined to provide any documentation. The user reported not feeling comfortable subjecting Mangione's name to further scrutiny, citing concerns about negative media coverage.
We also contacted MDC Brooklyn to inquire about the letter. David Richardson, an executive assistant at the facility, confirmed that inmates are allowed to print their TRULINCS messages and mail them out. He also stated that there was no limit on how many letters an inmate can send. Richardson noted that the formatting of the letter appeared consistent with legitimate TRULINCS output. However, he emphasized that "anything can be altered to appear original," and that no one at the facility would be able to certify the authenticity of the document.
Mangione's legal team has previously addressed the issue of letters attributed to him. On the defense team's official website, an FAQ section warned: "Luigi's legal team is aware of at least one AI handwriting generator and several forged letters claiming to be from Luigi via TRULINCS." The website also noted: "Currently, we do not have a method to verify the authenticity of letters or emails attributed to Luigi."
Below is an example the legal team provided of a forged letter.
(www.luigimangioneinfo.com)
The website also featured an image of a "real letter sent by Luigi."
(www.luigimangioneinfo.com)
It should be noted that the signature at the bottom of the letter above, which his legal team confirmed is an authentic communication, is different to the signature at the bottom of the letter marked "#33" that was circulating online.
While the website included examples of both verified and fake letters, it made no mention of the "27 Things" list. When Snopes reached out for confirmation, we were directed back to the general FAQ section and did not receive a specific response.
In the past, we have investigated multiple claims related to Mangione that are available in this collection.
Attorneys | Luigi Mangione Legal Defense Information. https://www.luigimangioneinfo.com/pages/attorneys/. Accessed 20 June 2025.
Check, Reuters Fact. 'Fact Check: CNBC Did Not Publish Hoax Saying Luigi Mangione Died in Jail'. Reuters, 18 Feb. 2025. www.reuters.com, https://www.reuters.com/fact-check/cnbc-did-not-publish-hoax-saying-luigi-mangione-died-jail-2025-02-17/.
Deng, Grace. "A Collection of Rumors about UnitedHealthcare CEO Shooting Defendant Luigi Mangione." Snopes, 6 Apr. 2025, https://www.snopes.com//collections/luigi-mangione-rumors-collection/.
FAQs | Luigi Mangione Legal Defense Information. https://www.luigimangioneinfo.com/pages/faq/#:~:text=How%20can%20I%20verify%20if%20a%20letter%20or%20email%20attributed%20to%20Luigi%20that%20I%20see%20online%20is%20real%3F. Accessed 20 June 2025.
---. https://www.luigimangioneinfo.com/pages/faq/#:~:text=Luigi%20Mangione%20(52503%2D511)%0AMDC%20Brooklyn%0AMETROPOLITAN%20DETENTION%20CENTER%0AP.O.%20BOX%20329002%0ABROOKLYN%2C%20NY%2011232. Accessed 20 June 2025.
---. https://www.luigimangioneinfo.com/pages/faq/. Accessed 20 June 2025.
Inmate Locator. https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/. Accessed 24 June 2025.
Luigi Mangione Reflects on 27 Things He's Grateful for After 27th Birthday. 11 June 2025, https://web.archive.org/web/20250611010344/https://www.tmz.com/2025/06/10/luigi-mangione-27-things-he-is-grateful-for/.
MDC Brooklyn. https://www.bop.gov/locations/institutions/bro/. Accessed 20 June 2025.
Staff, T. M. Z. "Luigi Mangione Reflects on 27 Things He's Grateful for After 27th Birthday." TMZ, 10 June 2025, https://www.tmz.com/2025/06/10/luigi-mangione-27-things-he-is-grateful-for/.
TYSK. https://tysk.lamp.uscourts.gov/ex-offender-suggestions/trulincs-inmate-computer-system-w-y-s-k.php. Accessed 20 June 2025.
"What Is 'Latinas For Mangione?' Number 16 On Luigi Mangione's Alleged '27 Things l'm Grateful For' List Explained." Know Your Meme, 11 June 2025, https://knowyourmeme.com/editorials/guides/what-is-latinas-for-mangione-number-16-on-luigi-mangiones-alleged-27-things-lm-grateful-for-list-explained.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
11 minutes ago
- Fox News
Victims of 'Bernie Madoff of cows' take on major banks in massive ghost cattle Ponzi scheme
Victims of a deceased financier known as the "Bernie Madoff of cows" are suing three banks, alleging they enabled the fraud that resulted in a $100 million Ponzi scheme. Some of those duped by Brian McClain, of Benton, Kentucky, filed a lawsuit against Community Financial Services Bank, Rabo AgriFinance and Mechanics Bank, alleging the institutions ignored red flags that left dozens of Kentucky investors with financial losses, the New York Post reported. The fraud was uncovered days after McClain killed himself at age 52 on April 18, 2023. He initially promised 30% returns to investors while orchestrating a "ghost cattle" scheme in which the livestock never actually existed, authorities said. "CFSB strongly denies the allegations in question, and believes the claims against the bank to be entirely without merit," the bank said in a statement to The Post. "The bank through counsel has filed a Motion to Dismiss in the suit brought by the bankruptcy trustee." A spokesperson for Rabo AgriFinance told Fox News Digital that the courts will have the ultimate say. "Rabo AgriFinance remains strongly committed to providing financial solutions to U.S. cattle producers, feedlots, and processors," a statement from the bank reads. "As stated in prior court filings, the claims have no basis under the law, and many of the allegations are completely inaccurate. As the legal process unfolds Rabo AgriFinance will refrain from commenting further." Fox News Digital has reached out to all three banks named in the lawsuit. McClain's scheme collapsed when Rabo AgriFinance, McClain's primary lender, discovered a massive discrepancy in inventory, the newspaper reported. During an audit, only 10,000 cattle were found, far less than the 88,000 McClain claimed to have. While McClain claimed to have 88,000 head of cattle, only about 10,000 were found during an audit, exposing the bulk of the herd as "ghost cattle." After McClain's death last year, representatives from Rabo AgriFinance seized the remaining cattle from McClain's operation and sold them through Blue Grass Stockyards. Three of McClain's companies — McClain Farms in Benton, Kentucky; 7M Cattle Feeders in Hereford, Texas; and McClain Feed Yard in Friona, Texas — filed for bankruptcy in 2023. The unpaid livestock sellers could be protected under the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921, which requires that all livestock purchased by a dealer in cash sales, along with any receivables or proceeds from those livestock, be held in trust for the benefit of unpaid sellers, according to the Department of Agriculture. McClain's moniker is named after Bernie Madoff, the former Nasdaq chairman who masterminded the largest Ponzi scheme in U.S. history by defrauding thousands of investors. Madoff died in 2021 at the age of 81 while serving a 150-year sentence at the federal medical care center in a North Carolina federal prison.
Associated Press
16 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Bronx family seeks answers after teen dies in police custody over the July Fourth weekend
NEW YORK (AP) — A New York City family is seeking answers after local authorities say a teenager died of an apparent suicide while in police custody over the Fourth of July weekend. Saniyah Cheatham, an 18-year-old Bronx resident, died by hanging herself in a holding cell at a Bronx police precinct, the city Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said Monday. But a lawyer for Cheatham's family called on the agency to release its detailed findings and for police to release surveillance video of the police station and other information about her arrest and death. 'We don't know why she was arrested. We just know she's dead,' said Ben Crump, a Florida attorney who has represented the families of Michael Brown, George Floyd, Trayvon Martin and other Black people killed by police nationally. Thomasina Cheatham said her daughter appeared happy at a family barbecue just hours earlier. 'I just want to know what happened,' she said during a news conference in front of the Bronx police station where Cheatham died. 'That was my only daughter.' The medical examiner's office, in an emailed response, said its findings were discussed with the teen's family and that the full autopsy report with all supporting documentation will be provided to them at a later date. Police, meanwhile, confirmed Cheatham had been arrested in connection with an assault but declined to answer follow-up questions Monday about the circumstances of the death. The agency said only that the incident is being reviewed by its force investigation division. Police previously said Cheatham was found unconscious around 12:30 a.m. on July 5 at the 41st Precinct stationhouse, which serves the Hunts Point and Longwood areas of the Bronx. The agency said at the time that officers performed CPR until emergency medical officials arrived and transported her to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
CBS News
16 minutes ago
- CBS News
Brooklyn daughter after mother is struck by stray bullet: "I do feel unsafe here"
A 65-year-old woman was hit by a stray bullet while walking to the store in broad daylight in Brooklyn. Police are still looking for the shooter. "I had a chance to see her. She's doing OK, she's pulling through," the victim's daughter told CBS News New York. She spoke through her door, too frightened to show her face. She said her mother was walking to get groceries just after 10 a.m. Sunday near Brooklyn Avenue and Foster Avenue when she was shot. "She was going to the store, and she said she just felt her leg give way. She realized she got shot. She started screaming she got shot," the woman's daughter said. "They don't want to paralyze her" The woman was rushed to Kings County Hospital. Her daughter said she was awake, but that the bullet was lodged near her hip. "Close to the hip. That's why they can't remove the bullet. They don't want to paralyze her," she said. Witnesses told CBS News New York the gunman was standing in front of a community center and fired down the street. He took off in a black BMW, police sources said. "She said she didn't see because her back was turned. She didn't see anything," the woman's daughter said. Ten shell casings were found at the scene. Police sources said they're still searching for the suspect, who was dressed in a light blue sweatshirt. As the woman recovers, her daughter said she's scared to even step outside. "I do feel unsafe here, because there's always shooting," she said. Anyone with any information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or via DM on X, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.
