Luigi Mangione's cousin signs soccer contract in Brooklyn

As Luigi Mangione sits in a New York cell awaiting the latest development in his murder trial, a relative of his is moving to the same city for an entirely different purpose.

Peter Mangione, the cousin of the 27-year-old accused of gunning down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December 2024, has signed with second-division soccer team Brooklyn FC.

Peter is a 24-year-old midfielder who played the last two seasons with FC Cincinnati 2 in MLS Next Pro - the amateur league run by Major League Soccer.

Last season, Mangione made 28 appearances for the team - logging two goals and five assists.

In the club's press release, Brooklyn describes their latest signing as bringing 'a balanced midfield profile... with the engine to cover ground and the end product to impact matches in the final third.'

Brooklyn FC is set to play its first season of soccer in 2026 in a minor league baseball stadium located in Coney Island.

The soccer player's infamous cousin is in the midst of a trial where he has been charged with second-degree murder and multiple counts of criminal possession of a weapon.

Charges of first-degree murder and second-degree murder as a crime of terrorism were dismissed in September 2025.

The latest updates in the case could see the death penalty thrown out as Mangione's lawyers accuse Attorney General Pam Bondi of having a conflict of interest.

Mangione's lawyers claim that Bondi was biased in her decision to seek the death penalty against him in the killing of Thompson, the defense wrote in a court filing in late-December.

Bondi should have recused herself over the 'profound conflict of interest' stemming from her prior work as a lobbyist at Ballard Partners, a firm that represented the UnitedHealthcare's parent company, the document stated.

The defense further alleged that she broke her vow to follow ethical regulations and withdrawal from matters pertaining to Ballard clients for a year, according to the filing reviewed by the Daily Mail.

Make your 7 picks by 12.30pm every Saturday to win £1,000*

Manchester United

Sat Jan 1711:30

V

Manchester City

*18+, excludes NI. Terms and conditions apply

They argued Bondi has continued to profit from her work for Ballard - and, indirectly, from its work for UnitedHealth Group - through a profit-sharing arrangement with the lobbying firm and a defined contribution plan it administers. 

The defense now wants prosecutors barred from seeking the death penalty, two federal charges dropped and certain evidence dismissed from the case.

Mangione, 27, has pleaded not guilty to state and federal murder charges.

The state charges carry the possibility of life in prison, while federal prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. Neither trial has been scheduled.