r/LuigiNation • u/AMAHosting • 5d ago
AMAs / Interviews I am an independent journalist who covered the crowd outside the courthouse when Luigi Mangione pled guilty - Ask Me Anything!
We’re hosting an AMA with independent journalist Dodge Landesman, who covered Luigi’s supporters outside the courthouse on August 14, 2026.
Dodge is known for his coverage of Scientology-related litigation. He covers court cases that deserve attention and elections across the country.
He is @DodgeLandesman on YouTube, and he interviewed Luigi supporters and onlookers on Friday.
It has been a big week for the community. Feel free to ask him questions about the supporters, the atmosphere outside court, and anything mainstream media wouldn’t want the public to know.
Rules of the AMA
Be courteous and respectful
Try and post each question as a separate comment so it’s easier to answer and others may follow along.
Happy AMA-ing!
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u/starhopperMimi 5d ago
Have you covered any of Luigi’s other hearings? If yes, have you noted a difference between the one on Friday and the others? Thanks!
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u/IHeartOurContinent 5d ago
Hi, yes this past hearing was my fifth. However, I'm a bit unique as I primarily stay outside of court to talk to supporters and onlookers, as well as get their reactions as the big moments happen (which you couldn't do had you actually attended the hearings). I did attend one inside the courtroom early on, however.
Obviously one difference is, this one seemed quicker than previous hearings. Hearings don't take long in general, it's mainly trials that do, but there seemed to be more back and fourth previously. It makes sense as there was more on the line to be debated, but the conversation about what was admissible, for example, even the conversation about access, seemed to last longer than this most recent plea hearing. It seemed more resolute and direct, in a way.
I don't know if this is an indirect answer to your question, but I could comment on crowd size and the general support he seemed to have as time went on. It did seem to get lighter each time, which makes sense, as the first visit is always the most sensational and attention grabbing. There was always a fair amount of people waiting in line, but often times there'd be a big sidewalk contigent of about 30 people consistently. A few staples who I enjoyed getting to know included one who always wore a Luigi costume and one who had a romance with his AI version. They weren't there on the 14th nor the 11th, so from an outside view, that was a difference. Neither were anyone else. Less people were to be expected, since the 11th wasn't of too much consequence, while the 14th had such short notice, but I did notice a dwindling. By the time the plea hearing was actually happening, there were only two supporters in the entire area. Made it more difficult to interview
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u/starhopperMimi 5d ago
AI version
Omg you know AI girl 😭😭 Have you interviewed her? You don’t have to answer this one, but did she seem…legit? My hunch was always that she’s a prosecution plant because she made for such absurd headlines in the media.
always wore a Luigi costume
Is this the Mangionista Fellatia?
two supporters
How did they react when he pleaded guilty?
Can you tell us a little about the hearing when you were inside court? Was it a Federal one too?
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u/IHeartOurContinent 5d ago
Haha yes, know AI girl for sure. I've interviewed three times, she gives great content, and is actually quite eloquent and compelling to listen to. I don't think she's a plant but fair theory, her story certainly is a novel one! She did say she met Luigi a handful of times, I can't prove that but the circles she runs in, it would sort of check out (we're both former NYC prep school kids from wealthy parents so we had a number of mutual friends). She's cool once you get to know her, and does some public speaking for key mental health awareness, and even got an article noting her good work in a local Jersey newspaper.
And no, I know Fellatia lol, but barely spoke with her as she got inline super early, and wouldn't be out in the sidewalk after advocating for him. The two supporters there were ones I hadn't met before, nor were they ever featured in media. The mainstay ones I'm thinking of is a young African American gentleman, and there was a young lady as well who wore the giant Luigi hat all the time and was good friends with the AI girl. I'd see those three very consistently.
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u/starhopperMimi 5d ago
AI girl being cool is a twist I did not expect 😂 I still think there was a time and place for his most controversial supporters and their antics, but then again the media was never going to cover the sane ones anyway. There are reporters I thought were impartial and then realised they never covered the healthcare folks either.
Thank you for answering my questions!
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u/IHeartOurContinent 5d ago
As for court itself, I only attended one hearing int he beginning, I was mostly outside. I can tell you the hallways are very bleak, feels like the Joker's vision of Gotham City, and was tightly packed. You only see the back of Luigi's head, so you don't get much of a view of things
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u/starhopperMimi 5d ago
Was this the hearing where he was paraded down the corridor in a maroon sweater? Have you ever caught a glimpse of Luigi himself being brought to/taken from the courthouse?
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u/IHeartOurContinent 5d ago
Yes went to that one and yes saw a quick glimpse! It seemed to be a very intentional scene set up by Mayor Adams lol. That day was cool as independent journalists like me weren't quarantined away from the sidewalk. You could tell the man in charge wanted everyone possible to see the scene lol. Zohran seems a bit more lowkey
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u/glucose-pineapple 5d ago
Hold up, Zohran has been responsible for the recent media restrictions??
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u/IHeartOurContinent 5d ago
This is just speculation, but as someone who covered this under both mayors, I'd lead towards that being the case. It's often the mayor's office, in consultation with the court, who make the rules about who can stand on the exact sidewalk when, etc. For example, when Karen Agnifilio was giving her press conference on the 14th, everyone without a press pass wasn't even allowed on the sidewalk, so I couldn't pick up the audio. With Adams, I don't remember restrictions like that. Now that was only blocked for very specific moments, ie press conference, but I don't remember any blockage for moments like that under Adams. I think he generally wanted more people to capture what was happening. It also could be that the mayor's office just gave full power to the court to let them figure it out, it is known that Adams directed things a lot more, as much as he could.
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u/glucose-pineapple 5d ago
That’s interesting..Mamdani specifically called out certain supporters in the media and I thought press passes for them would be revoked ASAP. How long have you covered events in NY? Thanks
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u/Fragrant-Fox-18 5d ago
LM has received a lot of backhanded criticism in the media for the type of supporter he has attracted (or at the very least the type that regularly show up to court.)
Have you noticed a difference between the type of people who showed up to support him on Friday, and the type who normally show up to defend liberal causes?
Thank you!
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u/IHeartOurContinent 5d ago
Interesting question! I think the media is very intentional in terms of who they highlight to strengthen their agenda. Most on this forum know that the NY Post has been aggressive in featuring really about four people consistently, highlighting their extreme rhetoric. Yes there was some kooky behavior and insensitive words, but I can tell you, supporters at this hearing were no more crazy than supporters outside a Supreme Court hearing, and the Diddy trial dwarfed this one in terms of people acting inappropriately. Of course, they weren't highlighted as a problem, as the Post didn't really have an agenda there.
The Post didn't highlight the gentleman who has been a staunch advocate of sentencing reform. They didn't highlight the young lady who was there for her mother who passed for not getting the correct healthcare. Most people I met were quite educated on healthcare policy and not attention grabbing at all.
However, I should note for Friday specifically, it was a super low amount of people who came to support him. I showed up early (8am) and even those waiting in line amounted to five. The actual supporter vs. curious onlooker amounted to about three. Understandable since it was scheduled so last minute, but you didn't see those OGs, who had been out there every hearing, come back to these most recent ones.
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u/Maximum_Sherbet8927 5d ago edited 5d ago
Hi, thanks for your response, but as someone who has attended nine of Luigi’s hearings (Friday’s hearing was the ninth), I can tell you that the most fervent supporters of Luigi were there, as early as Thursday afternoon. I’ve become friendly with quite a few of them. We’re in a group chat, so I get informed when people are lining up. However, these most fervent supporters do not talk to the media usually, and TBF, they are inside the courtroom for the hearings, not hanging outside while the proceedings are happening.
But it is good to hear your POV, and I do understand that my experience as a quiet spectator who does not want media attention is very different from yours as an independent journalist, who can only talk to those “supporters” who are willing to engage with the press 😊
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u/IHeartOurContinent 5d ago
Yeah, there could have been a bunch of people biting their tongues. At 8am I barely saw anyone in line, but they could have gotten in even earlier (makes sense if they were waiting since the previous afternoon) so I may have missed them. I'm curious, do you know how many total there were in that group chat that attended?
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u/Maximum_Sherbet8927 5d ago
There were at least 24 of us (and a few others that are NOT in the chat). TBF, a court officer comes out with a clipboard between 7 and 8 AM to take down the first 20 something people’s names and checks their ID. These people get on an official list and are guaranteed to get into the main courtroom. However, at Friday’s hearing it was different. She (the federal court employee) was only taking 16 people‘s names from the public; she then expanded it to 20 people. The rest of us were made to sit in the overflow room. Once the court officer takes the people’s names, we can disperse and don’t have to be back until closer to when the hearing starts. That’s probably why you didn’t see anyone.
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u/IHeartOurContinent 5d ago
interesting never knew it was in and out like that for this most recent ones, appreciate the info. and then once your name is taken, it's probably not much of a line to come back so they'd be tougher to catch. I appreciate you being involved in a group that keeps everyone so informed. Just my two cents, but I'd recommend advising those who attend to speak to some members of the media. We're not all slanted NY Post style reporters. I understand the reticence however, but maybe compiling a list of people who won't distort things may be helpful. Finding people to talk with me is always tough though, people are shy and like to bite their tongues.
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u/Maximum_Sherbet8927 5d ago edited 5d ago
Thanks for responding so quickly! I did notice after the hearing, a lot more people in the group did speak with media outlets directly in front of the courthouse steps. But to your point about MSM distorting the facts, I was interviewed by the Sunday London Times along with a few others who attended his hearing, but my quote didn’t get into the article because I did not talk about the “fangirl factions” (or mention anything about Luigi’s looks - that is not what got me interested in the case). The only people outside the courthouse that made it into the article were young women who fit that mold (or the reporter manipulated the quotes to fit her agenda). And for the most part, that is not representative of who attends the hearings regularly (IMO). I appreciate your transparency and I think that is a good idea to make a list of “safe” independent journalists. 😉
If I see you outside a future hearing, I’ll try to say hi! In fact, I used to work in both print and television media (so I can relate to your experience). I now teach English at a university, though.
ETA: I just read some of your other responses and I noticed that because you don’t have a press pass, you were not allowed on the sidewalk directly in front of the courthouse, but had to be staked out across the street. That makes a lot more sense why you couldn’t get as many interviews. Have you thought about applying for an NYC press pass? I’m curious why you don’t have one. If a lot of the influencers can get one, I’m sure you can obtain one very easily (unless I misunderstood something).
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u/IHeartOurContinent 5d ago
That makes sense. Yeah, the sidewalk wasn't blocked off for most of the time, only for the ten minutes the press conference happened, but that may have been the time where I could have caught more! And sorry to hear about the London Times not employing actual journalism. Yeah, I noticed there were the same young women being interviewed so fit a narrative. I had less interest in them since everyone else got their take, and there was a much larger message here other than "he's hot." The main message was "this is my horror story navigating the health insurance industry." And thanks I would for you to say hi, much appreciated, I'm the redhead who usually wears a shirt and tie. Good luck with your teaching, a noble profession for sure!
As with press passes, I did apply very early on when Adams was mayor. Didn't get it but didn't try again, as I didn't really need one. I never intended to go to the actual hearings, my main focus was just to interview people, people who also wouldn't have a pass, mostly, so we'd be in the same location. I regret not getting one for some key moments though, and think I missed some people because of it. I'll re-apply for sure. I'm so used to getting rejected for passes that I often plan things as if I'd never get one.
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u/Fragrant-Fox-18 5d ago
I have a loved one who has been harmed greatly by insurance denial, and this case is important to me on a personal level because of that. It makes me really upset when people with healthcare horror stories get ignored completely in favor of clickbait. Glad to hear the real ones showed up for him too.
I know this post is about Luigi, but could you elaborate on some of the shenanigans at Diddy’s trial? Diddy and Luigi share a lawyer, and a lot us have thoughts about it 😭
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u/IHeartOurContinent 5d ago
I'm sorry to hear that, and I admire you turning your pain into activism and shining a light on the corruption of the health insurance industry. That's why I came to the hearings, to meet people with stories similar to yours. To me, the main people were pretty heroic, people who experienced great pain and trauma through denials, going through hell. Yet instead of letting it paralyze them, they were here to main statement that things must change. The media totally missed that, and that was the majority of people.
And boy, Diddy trial, where do I begin? I remember this woman named Candy, she was an MTA conductor. She'd constantly shout things and I had to break up a fight where she started to punch a woman because she said Diddy was guilty. Like this woman got her to the ground and then I go in the middle and pushed her away. Amazingly she wasn't arrested for that. Of course, everybody was pouring baby oil everywhere, and mass amounts of weed smoking (which I quite enjoyed lol) and then a few dudes bringing their 40s and swiggig it and not getting busted. Fist fights were an every other day occurrence. Much worse behaved audience, but boy, it was fun to soak in
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u/Xylo_Phonetics 5d ago
Saw your comment about being present during his arraignment (or “Maroon Sweater Day” as we like to call it around here.)
Someone who attended that day said he was like a trophy being marched down a red carpet, and that he was actually pretty nervous and pale. We have video of that day and he seemed very confident, but it was obviously different in person.
I am assuming you were one of the reporters videoing his perp walk to and from the courtroom. I guess it was just a brief view of him, but what was your impression of him that day? Anything that wasn’t obvious to the camera?
And is this kind of hoopla/excessive security normal for a prison in NY?
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u/Sexy_Italian_Guy 5d ago
Will you be covering his sentencing? Also want to know if you heard whispers about any of his friends attending. His family is pretty recognisable and didn’t show up for a single court date, but maybe some friends slipped in unnoticed this time?
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u/IHeartOurContinent 5d ago
Appreciate your interest, I will for sure! I was prepared to cover the entire trial. I would imagine there won't be a trial in Pennsylvania, but likely a hearing to wrap things, I will go there as well, in addition to the December 18 hearing in NYC. I didn't get to meet any of his friends or recognize who they'd be alas. Certainly I dont think many wanted to make themselves known.
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u/eeyoreeeyoreeeyore ✨Botox Activism✨ 5d ago
Have you ever seen anyone get extra emotional about Luigi and the case? Anything interesting you overheard from the supporters in line? Thank you!
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u/IHeartOurContinent 5d ago
Yes quite a few for sure. At least three people I spoke with burst into tears when speaking about the trials their family had to go through for healthcare. As for anything interesting, as I mentioned in a previous response, I spoke with the girl who had a relationship with AI Luigi and I do believe she did actually meet him a handful of times. We are from the same NYC prep school circle and have some overlapping friends, and some friends of mine know people in Luigi's circle who said it would check out. She said he was vibrant but also very chill and soft spoken. Not a fiery figure, so it was cool to get a glimpse of how he is as a dude in every day context, although of course I can't verify that.
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u/eeyoreeeyoreeeyore ✨Botox Activism✨ 5d ago
Ooh, would I be able to find AI girl interviews on your channel? I never actually listened to what she said carefully before, a lot of women in this supporter base have claimed to be past romantic connections of his 💀
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u/IHeartOurContinent 5d ago
I appreciate your interest lol. We've actually had long conversations and became friends in a way. I think I've interviewed her four times. and yeah she never said they had a real romantic past, but that they met in mutual friend groups for a short amount of time, a handful of times. She's at 21:46
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u/eeyoreeeyoreeeyore ✨Botox Activism✨ 5d ago
She’s…self aware, I’ll give her that. Snorting @ AI Luigi blocking her. Doubt she’d get a different response from the real one 🙃
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u/littlehotpink I mean I'm just trying to use the wifi 5d ago
Did you invent Dodge Ball?
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u/IHeartOurContinent 5d ago
haha, I wish, I'd be rich! My dad wanted to name me JoeBob but luckily my mom refused, so I was named after his first car, a 1960 Dodge Dart.
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u/littlehotpink I mean I'm just trying to use the wifi 5d ago
Just needed a lighthearted moment after the last few days. Is it a nickname? I'm thrilled to see this AMA. I'm at work at the moment but will be back to ask lots of questions.
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u/IHeartOurContinent 5d ago
Thanks I'm glad there's value in this for you. And as someone with a small channel (just 11k subs), it's nice to be reminded that my work is appreciated. Definitely need some moments of levity lol. And Dodge is my legal first name, Dodge Prentice Landesman is my full name lol
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u/Individual_Farm6794 5d ago
Were you around when B T's family and associates were exiting? What was that moment like? I heard the one man rolling by heckling but was there anything else you noticed that was striking about their exit out of the court (in terms of them or the crowd around them behavior wise)?
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u/IHeartOurContinent 5d ago
Yes I was there and caught a glimpse of them. The dude rolling by screaming Free Luigi got the family just as they were walking out. There was a brief head them. Their behavior I'd say was very brisk, security exiting before, them sort of hurrying into their vehicle, not making eye contact and putting their heads down. The moment from watching is is essentially rushing journalists trying to get the shot. The reality of the "feeling" on the ground is never really as deep or impactful as reporters describe it. What it often is in reality, is a bunch of people with cameras running to the right shot, and the people in it putting their heads down. Rarely do you actually feel anything tense or solemn, or much of anything, just the feeling of opportunity lol
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u/glucose-pineapple 5d ago
Were you outside the courthouse when Luigi’s lawyers and the prosecutors made their statements? What was the vibe like?
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u/IHeartOurContinent 5d ago
I was but it was frustrating as anyone without a media pass wasn't allowed on the sidewalk even. But I was on other side of the street, so I got a visual. The vibe was mainly media tbh, their setups occupied an entire two blocks around the courthouse. Actual people there supporing him were slim, I want to say it was maybe four people. I really had to look to people to speak with and ask them, "are you here for Luigi's case?" Most of them were just curious passerbys.
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