Luigi Mangione Becomes $35 Fashion Statement at NYC Market

New merch just dropped in two of Manhattan’s busiest markets: a $35 T-shirt bearing the ripped torso of Luigi Mangione, who allegedly assassinated UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in the city only eight days ago.

The T-shirt, sold by Aliens of Brooklyn is displayed at the Artists & Flea marketplace in Chelsea Market on 10th Avenue and sparked a range of reactions from passers-by—from horror and giggles to the outright kissing of the shirt on its mannequin. The garment is also on sale at an Aliens outpost in Bryant Park, Manhattan.

The designer Joseph Tijerina is behind the shirt, which has sold to a handful of buyers so far. His co-worker, Jose, spoke on behalf of the company to the Beast.

“The store is about memes and pop culture,” Jose said. “I don’t think [the buyers] really understand the context. Someone said today, ‘Luigi, he’s an American hero.’”

Tijerina had made the shirt “because it’s the moment,” said Jose, who was wearing one of the Luigi shirts himself. A few browsers expressed shock at the shirt during the day, many of whom he said were “older.” “People say it’s too fast, too soon.”

Jose grappled with the ethics when asked what the murdered CEO’s family might think of Manhattan’s latest commodity. “Oh my God, I thought about that,” he said.. “I’m not an a-----e. I have empathy. We understand someone died and it’s not funny.”

A pair of young visiting students—Madison and Sam—did not find the shirt strange at first glance. “It’s just a cultural moment,” said Sam, echoing José, adding that he thought it “smart” of the designer to start selling it. “In three months, no one will care.”

The pair paused when asked whether they thought the shirt glorified murder. “I guess so,” said Madison. “I do think it’s a little distasteful, as he is [allegedly] a murderer and I’m not here for murder, it’s disgusting.”

A nearby perfume vendor, reluctant to give her name, felt the shirt was “distasteful to wear and to sell.” Aliens of Brooklyn, she said, were “monetizing a situation that shouldn’t be monetized and glorifying something that shouldn’t be glorified. “It’s a vain world we live in where someone gets pity points for being good-looking. I bet the public would react differently if he wasn’t. Nothing justifies cold-blooded murder.”

One shopper, Crystal, had a very different reaction, kissing the shirt as she passed by with her friend Lauren. The pair, both middle-aged Asian American residents of New York, described Mangione in heroic terms.

“We are all victims of the healthcare insurance industry,” Lauren said. “Somebody has to pay for it.”

Lauren cited a recent $16,000 eye surgery that Crystal had to pay for out-of-pocket after her insurance provider backed out of paying for it having approved it.

Mangione’s killing had two consequences, Lauren felt. “He was killed,” she said, referring to Thompson, “but we should look beyond that,” she said, to the impact Mangione has had.

“Maybe he could have disabled or paralyzed him if he was a more skillful shooter,” Lauren said when pressed on whether murder was justified. “See if you can get any justice with your pen,” she concluded, walking away.