Internet turns alleged UnitedHealthcare CEO's killer Luigi Mangione into a viral meme
Courtesy: AFP
With the identity of the alleged UnitedHealthcare CEO shooter revealed, social media has erupted with memes and jokes, focusing on the suspect's Italian-sounding name.
Luigi Mangione, who was arrested at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, earlier today, has become the subject of a viral internet discourse that blends humor with cultural stereotypes.
Mangione, born and raised in Maryland with ties to San Francisco, recently lived in Honolulu. Despite his American upbringing, his Italian-sounding name has inspired countless posts across platforms like Bluesky and X (formerly Twitter), comparing him to the video game character Luigi from Super Mario Bros.
— Robbie Goodwin (@robbiegoodwin) December 9, 2024
In one viral post, AI-generated images reimagine the Mario Bros. character as the alleged shooter.
The sequence includes Luigi immigrating to America, receiving a medical bill for a dying relative stamped with “DENIED,” standing over the body of a CEO holding a gun with a panicked expression, and ultimately being arrested in a McDonald’s. The caption? “A tragedy in four parts.”
Drawing on other Italian-American cultural references, posts featured The Sopranos and stereotypical portrayals of Italians. One screenshot from The Sopranos showed Tony Soprano gesturing with the caption, “In this house, Luigi Mangione is a hero! End of story!”
Another image depicted an Italian chef loading a gun with penne pasta, saying, “Mamma mia….”
In this house, Luigi Mangione is a hero! End of story!
— Colin (@yesitscolin.bsky.social) 2024-12-09T18:58:51.145Z
Historical references were also drawn. Some users invoked infamous anarchists Sacco and Vanzetti, writing, “Nice to see the Italian violent anarchist tradition revived.”
Another post humorously remarked, “Wow, high-profile assassinations orchestrated by Italians—it really is the Gilded Age all over again.”
A popular photo of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez pinching her fingers in a quintessentially Italian gesture made its rounds, with users playfully tying it to the suspect.
On X, one user referenced Mangione’s alleged behavior before the crime, saying, “Like a true Italian, Luigi Mangione’s fatal error as an assassin was giving himself away by stopping to flirt with the cashier at the cafe before going to work.”
Like a true Italian, Luigi Mangione's fatal error as an assassin was giving himself away by stopping to flirt with the cashier at the cafe before going to work pic.twitter.com/NGKSpBQAAv
— Lee (Greater) (@shortmagsmle) December 9, 2024
While the memes and jokes continue to dominate the internet, the situation remains deeply serious.
Authorities have described Mangione as a "strong person of interest" in the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a Manhattan hotel.