On Monday, police in Altoona, Pennsylvania, released a mugshot that launched a thousand (give or take) TikTok Shop products. In his intake photo, Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old who’s been charged with the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, looks like he’s fronting a Balenciaga campaign, or like one of those guys who walks into an East Village coffee shop and makes you lean over to your friend and whisper, “Is he that guy who stars in Industry?” The suspect’s chiseled features, coupled with the internet’s voracious obsession with his massive digital footprint, has led us to a moment the chronically online among us knew was coming: Mangione merch.
As of Tuesday, thegoodshirts.com is selling a $29 black T-shirt featuring a collage of photos of Mangione surrounded by bullets that appear to be engraved with “Deny, Defend, Depose” — the words police say were written on the casings of the bullets that killed Thompson and that echo a phrase insurers use to avoid paying claims. You can find more T-shirts, hoodies, and stickers featuring the slogan “Deny, Defend, Depose” all over Etsy. Over on Sivelos, a different shirt takes a culture buff’s approach, referencing Mangione’s Italian American heritage via a memorable line from The Sopranos: “IN THIS HOUSE LUIGI MANGIONE IS A HERO, END OF STORY.” Tee Shirt Palace allows customers to deck their furry friends out in Mangione paraphernalia by way of a “FREE LUIGI” doggie bandana emblazoned with the alleged assassin’s face, or to buy a red wearable blanket with the same design (just in time for Christmas, I guess).
Creating memorabilia in a convicted or suspected criminal’s image is not new. The Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, whose manifesto Mangione apparently rated four out of five stars on Goodreads, has an entire section devoted to him on Etsy featuring mugs, shirts, and hats. One seller is even offering a $14 Jeffrey Dahmer–scented candle (ew) on the website. Some companies, though, have made it clear that they’re not on board with those cheering the suspected UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter. A spokesperson for eBay told NBC News, “Items that glorify or incite violence, including those that celebrate the recent murder of UHC CEO Brian Thompson, are prohibited.” Amazon similarly removed all merchandise related to Mangione, including “FREE LUIGI” totes and mugs that were briefly available on the site. A spokesman told Fast Company that the “content violated the site’s guidelines.”
But even if every company were to follow in Amazon’s footsteps and take down Mangione-affiliated products, die-hard fans will find a workaround somehow. Already, Mangione supporters have tapped Nintendo’s Luigi and his distinctive style, creating merch around the video-game character that’s been tweaked to reference Mangione, like shirts that feature the cartoon character wearing a hoodie and holding a machine gun. Or they’re opting to use existing Nintendo Luigi merchandise, like plain beanies with the Luigi logo, which have fast become a meme-ified and ironically covetable accessory. Fascinating society we are!