Suspected CEO killer Luigi Mangione is ‘obsessed with fame' says his former cellmate
A former cellmate of alleged CEO killer Luigi Mangione has claimed he's 'obsessed with fame' as he opened up about the inmate.
Michael Daddea, 29, spent two nights in the same unit as Mangione, 27, after being jailed briefly on federal ghost gun charges.
He uploaded a video in which he described the accused killer as calm, friendly, and surprisingly well-adjusted to life behind bars.
Daddea recalled how Mangione introduced himself right away, worked as a shower cleaner, and eagerly searched newspapers for coverage of his high-profile case.
The clip was later deleted by Daddea, but has since resurfaced on TikTok and won him fresh attention as commenters swooned over his good looks
Mangione is accused of assassinating UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson with a homemade 'ghost gun' last December.
Daddea, who served just two nights in the MDC's 4G unit before being released on $250,000 bail, recounted his shock at being housed with Mangione.
He recalled: 'I thought the guard was being a wise ass. 'But then I see him - Luigi, standing there, smiling, saying, "Hey, how's it going?" Like we were at a cookout.
'Super nice. Introduced himself right away. I'd been in the unit for 10 minutes. I guess he must've seen another white kid.'
Daddea claims Mangione has become a model prisoner - and something of a celebrity in the federal lockup.
His video racked up more than 80,000 views before being pulled and begins with Daddea recounting his shock at being told he'd be bunking with Mangione, along with a fellow inmate known only as 'V.'
According to Daddea, the two hit it off instantly: 'I told him, "Yo, it's an honor to meet you." And he actually seemed touched. Said we were the first guys who even knew who he was or cared.'
Mangione responded: 'You two are the first kids that came in here who knew who I was or even cared about it.'
Daddea said they former a a brief but intense bond was forged with the pair sharing every meal and talking about religion.
He said they even received Ash Wednesday ashes together when a visiting priest made the rounds in early March.
'We would just eat, bulls***,' Daddea said in the clip. 'He'd grab his tray and come sit with us like clockwork.'
Mangione's days behind bars appear to be mundane.
According to Daddea, the Ivy League-educated suspect has adapted with an eerie calm, serving as a 'collie' - in prison slang, that means an inmate with an assigned job. His task is to scrub the communal showers clean.
'He's the guy who cleans the washrooms,' Daddea said. 'Not what you'd expect from someone who allegedly assassinated a CEO, right?'
In addition to his janitorial duties, Daddea told how Mangione spends his free time jogging laps around the unit and scouring the local New York Daily News and New York Post for mentions of his case.
'He'd have me help look through some to see if there's articles about him,' Daddea wrote in a now-deleted comment.
But Daddea also drew admiring comments on TikTok and Instagram.
'Came here after the viral comments, stayed because you're fine as f***,' one user swooned.
MDC got a dating app we should be downloading or??' joked another. 'Okay, so you were def in the pretty boy unit, right?' added a third.
But internet fame is a double-edged sword. On X, Daddea revealed he's also received hate comments and threats since his video gained traction.
He is still facing serious charges for allegedly manufacturing more than two dozen untraceable firearms using 3D printers.
Despite his own serious charges, Mangione seems to be making the most of federal detention.
In an electronic message dated June 3, the accused killer expressed gratitude for 'Chicken Thursdays,' 'Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce,' and 'thousands of books and letters' from supporters.
Mangione who faces a charge of first-degree murder and the potential for a death sentence if convicted described his current cellmate as someone who 'tolerates the clutter of all my papers, shares his unique wisdom, and doesn't hesitate to humble me when I need it.'
He even praised the correctional officers and staff, writing: 'They're nothing like what The Shawshank Redemption or The Stanford Prison Experiment had me believe. There's the occasional minor dissent, but nothing like that.'
Surveillance footage from December 4 appears to show a man alleged to be Mangione raising a home made firearm, one eerily similar to the type Daddea himself was charged with producing, and firing multiple rounds into the back of CEO Brian Thompson near 56th Street in Midtown Manhattan.
He spent five days on the run before he was ultimately arrested in Pennsylvania and hit with a suite of federal charges, including murder and terrorism.
Mangione has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to appear in court again on Thursday.
According to a manifesto reportedly found on him at the time of his arrest, Mangione was inspired by the appalling state of healthcare in the U.S.
In it, he allegedly blamed healthcare insurers for 'continuing to abuse our country for immense profit because the American public has allwed [sic] them to get away with it.'
Mangione celebrated his birthday behind bars on May 6, with a letter he sent to mark the occasion emerging on social media last week.
He wrote that the number one thing he was grateful for is 'my friends, for being there when I needed it most.'
'(Number two), my family, for [REDACTED - my personal life is none of your business!].'
He paid tribute to the guards and mail staff at the federal correctional facility in the letter, thanking the mail room workers for having 'photocopied and processed thousands of letters sent to me from over 40 countries - your efforts are appreciated by so many.'
Case: He spent five days on the run before he was ultimately arrested in Pennsylvania and hit with a suite of federal charges, including murder and terrorism
The 27-year-old went on to thank an array of people in his letter, from those who donated over a million dollars to his legal defense, to his 'Latinas for Mangione' fan club.
The alleged killer is not expected to stand trial for Thompson's murder until 2026. He described his life in jail as a 'predicament' that has pros and cons.
While saying he lives a 'Groundhog Day' lifestyle of monotony in the MDC Brooklyn walls, Mangione said this has also brought him close to 'many talented and generous individuals.'
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