Luigi Mangione’s cousin signed with a professional soccer team in the shadow of the Brooklyn correctional facility where the accused murderer of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson is being held.
Peter Mangione will play for the Brooklyn Football Club during its inaugural USL Championship season, the team announced on Wednesday, January 14.
“We are proud to announce the signing of Peter Mangione!” Brooklyn Football Club posted via Instagram. “Peter, a native Marylander, joins Brooklyn from the FC Cincinnati organization after turning pro with FC Cincinnati 2 in MLS NEXT Pro. Welcome to Brooklyn!”
Brooklyn Football Club plays at Maimonides Park, less than 10 miles away from where Luigi, 27, is currently incarcerated at the Metropolitan Detention Center.
“He brings a balanced midfield profile to Brooklyn, with the engine to cover ground and the end product to impact matches in the final third,” the team said about Peter, 24, in a statement on Wednesday.
Peter made 28 appearances for the MLS’ FC Cincinnati in 2025, starting in 26 of those games.
Prior to turning pro, Peter had a stellar collegiate career at Penn State University, where he scored 31 career goals and earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2021 and 2023.
He was also named to the first-team Scholar All America team in 2023. According to the Penn State athletic website, Peter majored in political science at the university.
Brooklyn Football Club opens their season on March 8, when they host Indy Eleven.
Peter isn’t the only prominent cousin of Luigi. His cousin Nino Mangione is currently a Republican member of the Maryland House of Delegates.
When the Mangione family issued a statement after Luigi’s arrest in December 2024, it was released by Nino, 38, on social media.
“Our family is shocked and devastated by Luigi’s arrest,” the statement read. “We offer our prayers to the family of Brian Thompson and we ask people to pray for all involved. We are devastated by this news.”
Luigi is accused of shooting and killing Thompson in New York City on December 4, 2024. He faces both federal and state charges, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
Luigi most recently appeared in court on January 9, where his defense team presented arguments in an attempt to dismiss the death penalty counts against him if he is convicted.
U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett did not make a ruling on the death penalty during the hearing. However, Garnett said if the death penalty is tossed, Luigi’s trial could begin as early as the fall.
If the death penalty stays on the table, Garnett said jury selection would begin in early September to be followed by a trial in December or January 2027.
Luigi’s next court hearing is scheduled for January 30.
In the meantime, Luigi is behind bars at the Metropolitan Detention Center, the same location where Sean “Diddy” Combs was held after being found guilty on two counts of transportation for prostitution last year. Combs, 56, was sentenced to 50 months in prison. The music mogul has since been moved to the Fort Dix prison in New Jersey.
