Luigi Mangione’s emotional reaction to his fawning fans… and how he’s ‘sharing the love’ in prison

Luigi Mangione is ‘moved’ by his newfound global fame and the fans who lust after him after allegedly killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, DailyMail.com has learned.

The 26-year-old alleged killer, who pleaded not guilty Monday to murder and terror charges, has received thousands of dollars in donations and hundreds of handwritten letters while in prison, a legal insider said.

Mangione even shared the proceeds of his fame with his fellow inmates in Pennsylvania, who have also expressed their support for him and perhaps even helped him get a “glow up” before his extradition to New York City.

The source said the inmates who supported Mangione during a News Nation livecast “did it so Luigi could hear them.”

Despite the enormous attention the case has received, the world has yet to hear from Mangione, who has remained silent except for an outburst before his first court appearance in which he claimed that authorities “failed to recognize the intellect of the American people.” respected’.

But DailyMail.com has learned that since that court appearance, where he was unshaven and exhausted, Mangione learned of the public’s adoration after he was shown articles reporting the massive fixation on the accused killer.

Mangione has captivated the nation following Thompson’s murder, with religious-themed memes, merchandise and candles glorifying him popping up all over the internet.

A source close to Mangione said he is “very aware of the huge fan base he currently has.” He was “shocked and truly suffocated” when he first saw the support he received, which gave him “confidence and reassurance that he will be okay.”

The IVY competition graduate is said to be used to receiving attention from “both men and women,” but “not at this level.”

Mangione is “moved” by the public’s bizarre fixation on him, which has extended to other inmates, who may have helped him get a haircut and shave before his extradition to New York.

Mangione reportedly knew that the perpetrator walk would be “exaggerated” when he arrived in New York – as did his fellow inmates in Pennsylvania, who knew this would be one of the last times the world would see the alleged killer.

“Prisoners of his caliber don’t get special treatment in prison… His rise was an inside job and this is because he has become something of a vigilante,” the source said.

‘The head of the barbershop had to go to him to make this possible. Prisoners generally cannot get a haircut, let alone faded eyebrows and a facial.”

“It was bizarre to the guards and prison staff how he had become a hero both inside and out,” the source added.

“This has made things a lot easier for him during his PA time, his transition and his NYC time.”

Mayor Eric Adams and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch stood among a crowd of heavily armed officers last Thursday as Mangione was flown to a Manhattan heliport and escorted onto a pier after being extradited from Pennsylvania in a scene straight out of a Hollywood movie.

Mangione’s attorney Karen Agnifilo said in court Monday that police turned his return to New York into a choreographed spectacle. She called out Adams’ comment to a local TV station that he wanted to be there to “look him in the eye and say, ‘you carried out this terrorist act in my city.’

“He was on display for all to see in the biggest perp walk I’ve ever seen in my career. It was absolutely unnecessary,” she said.

Authorities say Mangione shot Thompson as he walked to an investor conference in downtown Manhattan on the morning of Dec. 4.

Mangione was arrested at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania after a five-day search, carrying a handgun that matched the weapon used in the shooting and a fake ID, police said. Federal prosecutors say he also carried a notebook in which he expressed hostility toward the health insurance industry and especially wealthy executives.

At a news conference last week, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said the application of the terrorism law reflected the seriousness of a “frightening, well-planned, targeted killing designed to cause shock, attention and intimidation.”

“In the most basic terms, this was a murder intended to provoke terror,” he added.

Mangione is being held in a federal prison in Brooklyn along with several other high-profile suspects, including Sean “Diddy” Combs and Sam Bankman-Fried.

During his appearance on Monday, he smiled occasionally during a conversation with his lawyers and extended his right hand after an officer removed his handcuffs.

Outside the courthouse, several dozen supporters chanted “Free Luigi” over the blare of a trumpet.

Earlier Thursday, fans carrying banners flocked to Pennsylvania to see the alleged killer, whose good looks have made him a pin-up for some Internet users, leaving many others outraged by Mangione’s alleged crimes.

At least two of them were dressed as Luigi from the video game Super Mario Bros.

Several TikTok users shared on the platform that they had driven as much as six hours to attend the hearing.

Some reportedly even flew from California to support the alleged killer.