The best line from “The Godfather” saga is from second movie in the series: Michael Corleone says, “If anything in this life is certain, if history has taught us anything, it is that you can kill anyone.”
Maybe Luigi Mangione took this really seriously when he decided to allegedly bust a cap in the back of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson on Dec. 4, before disappearing. Some were shocked that a broad daylight killing could take place in midtown Manhattan, one of the most monitored areas in the country. Others actually cheered the killing of the leader of a company that has gained infamy among regular people seeking reliable insurance.
Before Mangione’s arrest, when only an unclear photo of him at a New York hostel circulated, people were hailing him as some kind of brilliant vigilante who struck a blow against the evil healthcare industry. Others were lusting over him harder than they do Timothée Chalamet. Many believed this “mastermind” had fled the country for a place with no extradition laws, never to be seen on American soil again.
But after all the hype, the guy was caught after he was recognized by an employee at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pa., which is about a five-hour drive from New York. In the backpack he was carrying he had enough evidence to get the book thrown at him.
Now we know that Mangione actually came from privilege; with his Ivy League engineering and tech intern background, he could probably have written his own ticket. He instead chose to turn away from that path, according to the manifesto he wrote, railing against the healthcare industry (something which, to be fair, needs railing against).
As smart as he’s supposed to be, Mangione was never about that criminal life: He did dumb shit like remove his face mask in a heavily surveilled area, apparently left a trail of evidence, and even in his perp walk, he wouldn’t shut up – a violation of rule No. 1 when you get cuffed.
Folks (especially white women) are stanning Mangione because he’s young and handsome, and I guess “pretty privilege” also applies when you take a mugshot. It makes me think of when serial killer Ted Bundy became a thirst trap for white women. One even went as far as marrying him and having his kid while he was on death row. The medical term for it is hybristophilia and it’s basically an attraction to really, really bad boys.
But it shouldn’t come as a surprise because some of these same white women last month voted for a man who thinks their bodies are government property, but that’s a whole other discussion.
Mangione is trying to fight extradition to New York, where he’ll be arraigned and likely formally charged. He’ll probably wind up in Rikers Island, where, trust me...all that stanning by the public won’t protect bruh.
This whole episode created a new, and probably needed discussion on the healthcare system, but unfortunately the focus has shifted to a man who really doesn’t deserve the flowers he’s getting.
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Madison J. Gray is a New York-based journalist. He blogs at www.starkravingmadison.com.