Luigi Mangione, the man accused of attempting to assassinate the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, has gained a notable reputation within a federal detention facility in Brooklyn, according to a recent report. This development does not surprise New York City defense attorneys who have represented clients at the same location.

Within the walls of the Metropolitan Detention Center, Mangione has earned the title of “ambassador” among fellow inmates. This is the same institution where music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs was previously held as he awaited his federal sex trafficking trial.

Louis Gelormino, a defense attorney based in Staten Island, explains that there are three main elements that determine an inmate’s influence behind bars.

A photo montage captures Luigi Mangione in court, with his supporters standing in the background of a hallway. (Mike Segar/Reuters; Pool)

“In cases like these, when someone is charged with a high-profile murder, they often attain a certain status within the jail, as unfortunate as it may be,” Gelormino shared with Fox News Digital. “Another factor contributing to his standing is likely his financial status. Coming from a wealthy family means he probably has a substantial commissary fund, which enables him to manipulate situations, buy items for others, and engage in trading activities.”

Mangione, an Ivy League alumnus, comes from a wealthy Maryland family and also attended an elite private high school in Baltimore.

Mangione is also receiving from people on the outside who have donated more than $1 million dollars to his defense.

Supporters of Luigi Mangione gather outside Manhattan Supreme Court after terrorism charges were dismissed in the case of UnitedHealthCare CEO Brian Thompson’s murder. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

At each of his hearings, supporters show up with signs calling for his release. Some dress up like the character Luigi from Nintendo’s “Super Mario Bros.” franchise.

But Mangione has also been dubbed the MDC’s unofficial “ambassador” for helping other inmates acclimate to life in jail, according to Arthur Aidala, a New York defense attorney who is not representing Mangione but has other clients in the jail. He made the claim in an interview with People this week.

Slain UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s family was allegedly harassed in the hours after his murder by Shane Daley of Galway, N.Y. (AP Photo/UnitedHealth Group via AP)

“When people get there, and they don’t know what the heck is going on, he is kind of the one who welcomes them and does his best to allay their fears and, you know, kind of shows them the ropes of what life in the Metropolitan Detention Center is like, and what to do — and sometimes, more importantly, what not to do,” he told the outlet.

Aidala also called Mangione a “rule follower,” which he said also garnered him some respect from jail guards.

Luigi Mangione appears in court in February 2025 after officers uncovered a pair of heart-shaped notes smuggled to him inside a pair of socks included with a package of civilian clothes he was allowed to wear in front of the cameras. (Curtis Means/Pool)

“A lot of folks in there, you know, they figure out a way to get in contraband, whether that be drugs or unauthorized cellphones and things like that,” he told the outlet. “But my understanding is that he’s not like that, and he hasn’t been written up for any violations of that sort.”

However, Mangione was involved in a courthouse incident when supporters allegedly smuggled him heart-shaped notes hidden in a pair of socks.

Mangione has pleaded not guilty to a slew of charges, including murder.

He is accused of stalking and killing Brian Thompson, a 50-year-old father of two and the top executive at one of the country’s largest health insurance providers, by shooting him in the back as he walked toward an investor conference in December 2024.