Luigi Mangione received 'heart-shaped notes' hidden in socks before last court appearance
The 26-year-old former Ivy Leaguer showed up shackled, wearing khaki pants, Rockport penny loafers and a green sweater under a bulletproof vest in a wink at supporters, who urged one another to wear green in reference to the character Luigi from Nintendo's "Super Mario" franchise.
To spare him from appearing in a jail jumpsuit, Mangione's defense allegedly gave a bag of clothes to Major Mike McKee, a New York State Court officer who was overseeing inmate transport, according to prosecutors. Investigator Sgt. Louis Capolupo conducted a search before giving the items to the defendant.
Luigi Mangione Winks At Supporters With Green Sweater Under Bulletproof Vest
"Among the items of clothing was a new pair of argyle socks wrapped around cardboard," Assistant Manhattan District Attorney Joel Seidemann wrote in a new court filing.
"Secreted in the cardboard were two personal heart-shaped notes, one addressed to an unknown person named 'Joan' and the other to Luigi stating in part, 'know there are thousands of people wishing you luck.'"
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Capolupo seized the notes but allowed Mangione to wear the socks. However, "he felt that 'they did not look good'" and took them off, according to prosecutors.
"Fortunately, the items smuggled were handwritten notes and not contraband capable of harming the transporting officers," Seidemann added.
Mangione's team declined to comment but shared a separate filing his defense made Wednesday, in which his attorneys asked for additional discovery materials and also addressed the letters.
"This was obviously inadvertent as one of the two heart-shaped notes was not even addressed to Mr. Mangione," defense attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo wrote to the judge. "The District Attorney's Office ostensibly realized the innocent nature of this event, and that it was not a genuine danger or concern, as they did not bother to alert the Court at the time. If this 'incident' is the basis for the danger the prosecution is referencing, we submit that this does not meet the standard to allow them to deny our reasonable requests."
Luigi Mangione Supporters Whine About Suspected Ceo Assassin's Portrayal In 'Corporate Backed Narrative'
The back and forth comes as prosecutors are asking the court to deny Mangione's request to have a laptop in his jail cell – which they say is an unnecessary privilege – and additional discovery materials.
"We are demanding discovery regarding civilian witnesses, any police identification of Mr. Mangione by San Francisco police officers, discovery surrounding the prosecution's theory of terrorism, and the contents of any electronic devices recovered from Mr. Mangione," Friedman Agnifilo added.
In another filing, Assistant Manhattan District Attorney Zachary Kaplan listed a number of pieces of physical evidence police have recovered in addition to the suspected murder weapon.
Mangione had nearly $8,000 in cash on him when police arrested him, two Faraday bags, which can be used to block phone signals, multiple hard drives and a laptop, three wallets, an iPhone, "33 miscellaneous pills" and other items. Police recovered another phone near the crime scene and DNA evidence on discarded food packaging.
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In a designer backpack he allegedly ditched in Central Park after the slaying, police found "Monopoly" money and a black Tommy Hilfiger jacket. They also seized two display laptops from a Best Buy store.
Mangione faces federal and state charges in connection with Thompson's assassination – which New York prosecutors allege was an act of terrorism, something the defense argues is a false narrative.
He is accused of stalking the CEO, a married father of two, and shooting him in the back outside a shareholder conference in early December.
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Despite the allegations of cold-blooded murder, Mangione has received vocal support online, including hundreds of thousands of dollars donated to his defense.
Early in the investigation, police said that they recovered bullet casings at the scene with handwritten messages on them: "defend," "depose" and "deny" – an apparent reference to a book critical of the health insurance industry's tendency to deny claims.
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After the slaying, Mangione allegedly skipped town. However, police found him at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, after people inside recognized him from a smiling suspect photo in an NYPD wanted poster.
Altoona police allegedly captured him with the suspected murder weapon, a fake ID and a manifesto slamming health insurers.Original article source: Luigi Mangione received 'heart-shaped notes' hidden in socks before last court appearance
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Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Luigi: The Musical, the fringe production about the alleged killer Luigi Mangione, is fresh off a series of sold-out shows in San Francisco. Now, the show's creators are reportedly eyeing up shows at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August as well as possible future productions in Los Angeles and New York, where the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson took place in December. Newsweek has reached out to Luigi: The Musical via email for comment. Why It Matters Mangione, 27, is accused of shooting Thompson outside of a hotel in Manhattan in December 2024. He is charged with 11 counts, including first-degree murder "in furtherance of an act of terrorism," two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of stalking and a firearms offense. Federal prosecutors have announced their intent to seek the death penalty in Mangione's case. He has pleaded not guilty to state and federal murder charges as well as terrorism charges. Mangione has become the subject of intense public fascination online, with social media users treating the 27-year-old as everything from a sex symbol to a folk hero. The case reignited a discourse about American health care, and Mangione has received a significant amount of support. Protesters holding photos of Luigi Mangione chant and blow whistles as New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a press conference at City Hall on June 26, 2025. Protesters holding photos of Luigi Mangione chant and blow whistles as New York City Mayor Eric Adams speaks during a press conference at City Hall on June 26, 2025. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images What To Know Luigi: The Musical is a surreal prison satire that follows in the footsteps of musicals like Chicago and Sweeney Todd. The musical was created by songwriter Arielle Johnson and director Nova Bradford and features original music from Johnson and Bradford, performed by pianist Dani Macri, who also serves as associate musical director. The synopsis for the musical reads, "Our characters reflect three institutions of modern disillusionment: healthcare, tech, and Hollywood. Each represents a pillar of American life where public trust has eroded and where people increasingly feel betrayed, exploited, or abandoned." Mangione's two real-life inmates at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC), Sean Diddy Combs and Sam Bankman-Fried, both appear as characters in the musical. Fried is the embattled co-founder of the now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange FTX, who is serving a 25-year prison sentence. Combs was found guilty in his sex trafficking child of transportation to engage in prostitution in his sex trafficking trial, but not guilty of racketeering and sex trafficking. He remains detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn. The show stars Jonny Stein as Luigi, André Margatini as SBF, Janée Lucas as Diddy, and Calab Zeingue as Guard (Sgt. Delarosa). Bradford told The Hollywood Reporter, "There is this interesting thing that these three men represent three pillars of society that people have lost a lot of trust in recent years, including health care, Hollywood and the whole tech/VC/finance ecosystem." The Hollywood Reporter reported that the creators are looking at the 2025 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, New York and Los Angeles for future possible productions. It's not clear where the Mangione musical would be staged if it were to go to New York for a future production, but if it were to be held in the Theatre District, that would mean it would be mere blocks away from where Thompson was killed. The musical was met with criticism and controversy when it was announced. It is described as a "comedy," in a synopsis on its website, which also notes that the show "doesn't glorify violence." The show was first set for a handful of shows at a 49-seat San Francisco theatre, but after selling out that run, production moved to The Independent, a 350-person theatre. What People Are Saying A statement on the Luigi: The Musical website: "Luigi: the Musical doesn't glorify violence, it interrogates it. Beneath the absurdity and punchlines lies a serious critique of how violence is packaged, sold, and consumed in American media. The show takes aim at a culture where brutality is both entertainment and spectacle, inviting audiences to laugh while also asking why we're so quick to tune in when someone gets hurt. "But it goes further, examining how violence is not just the act of individuals, but of elite institutions—like healthcare, Hollywood, and tech—through their neglect, indifference, and lack of accountability. Through sharp satire and irreverent humor, Luigi: the Musical uses comedy as a tool to expose just how normalized, and profitable, violence has become, challenging viewers to reckon with their own responses along the way." What Happens Next Further dates of the play and where it may be staged remain to be seen.
