Luigi Mangione, the suspect in the tragic death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, had an unexpected interest in the notorious Unabomber Ted Kaczynski and his infamous manifesto. Surprisingly, he kept this fascination under wraps and did not share it with his friends, illustrating a complex personality that might have hidden deeper ideologies.

In a recent segment of “TMZ Stay,” we had the opportunity to speak with RJ Martin, a close friend of Mangione. During the conversation, he recounted an interesting incident from their book club, where they had explored Kaczynski’s manifesto, known as ‘Industrial Society and Its Future,’ a couple of years back. This revelation adds another layer to understanding Mangione’s background and the influences he may have had in his life.

According to RJ, he and another book club member had “half-jokingly” suggested reading the controversial manifesto, which sparked a lively debate within the group. However, he noted that most of the participants found the initial chapters to be quite challenging and struggled to engage with the dense material, highlighting the difficulty many face when confronted with Kaczynski’s controversial ideas.

While RJ mentioned that the group had an engaging and spirited discussion about Kaczynski’s manifesto, he could not recall Mangione displaying a significant emotional reaction to the text. This raises questions about whether Mangione’s interest in the manifesto was merely superficial or if it reflected deeper beliefs that he kept hidden from those closest to him.

He added that he did not perceive any particular enthusiasm from Mangione regarding the manifesto during their discussions. The group enjoyed a variety of literature, leading to many fascinating conversations, yet RJ highlighted that the Unabomber’s work did not stand out as a significant topic of interest for Mangione, which may indicate a more complex and perhaps contradictory personality.

RJ emphasized that nothing about their reading experience particularly stood out to him regarding Mangione’s response to the book. This observation suggests that while Kaczynski’s ideas may resonate with some individuals, for Mangione, they seemed to be just another book in a broader literary landscape without any profound impact on his worldview.

Nonetheless, it appears the manifesto did resonate with Mangione on some level, as he later awarded it a 4-star rating on Goodreads. In his review, he described it as an “inspiring” read, which contrasts sharply with RJ’s observations and raises further questions about the complexity of Mangione’s beliefs and motivations.

Despite the troubling accusations against Mangione, RJ firmly believes that his friend is incapable of such violence, stating, “The Luigi I know could never have murdered someone. It’s simply unfathomable.” This sentiment reflects the shock and disbelief often felt by friends and family when someone they know is implicated in such serious crimes.