What is Surfbreak Hawaii? Founder RJ Martin reveals Luigi Mangione suffered from chronic back pain and a 'pinched nerve'

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s suspected assassin Luigi Mangione joined Surfbreak — a co-living and co-working community in Hawaii in 2022, as reported by CNN. Journalist Erin Burnett spoke to RJ Martin, Surfbreak’s founder and CEO, and Luigi’s former friend on a live call on Tuesday, December 10.

Erin asked RJ about his reaction to the news of Luigi’s arrest and the supposed crime he committed. R called the ordeal "unimaginable", adding he was "beyond shocked". RJ, who was Luigi’s roommate at Surfbreak, said it is “unfathomable” to him that the 26-year-old could commit such a crime.

RJ told CNN that members of the community go through an interview process before they move in. He recalled Luigi was working remotely at a tech space at the time:

"He was looking forward to living in Hawaii, being healthy. He was excited about getting to know new people, experiencing the culture."

The Surfbreak founder claimed:

"Hawaii is one of those places where people would love to live. So, we provide kind of an all-inclusive living experience, so it makes it easy for them to move to the islands."

RJ Martin described Luigi Mangione as a "very thoughtful person", and "friendly" adding he had a good relationship with everyone in the community. RJ said Luigi was also a "bit of a leader". As stated by RJ, Luigi helped create a book club called 'Spearhead'. RJ said they started the book club to "keep those inner intellectual pursuits alive from back when we were in school".

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RJ Martin addresses Luigi Mangione's back issues

During the conversation with CNN host Erin Burnett, RJ Martin revealed Luigi Mangione informed him about his back problem during their initial interview. He reportedly moved to Hawaii hoping to get stronger.

RJ shed light upon the severity of Luigi's back pain, explaining he had to take bed rest for a week after a basic surf lesson when he first joined Surfbreak. The members even arranged a different kind of, firmer bed for Luigi, beneficial to his back pain. The founder added despite being focused on recovery, an impending surgery had burdened Luigi.

Elsewhere during the conversation, RJ Martin told host Erin Burnett he had been in touch with Luigi Mangione earlier this year. While checking up on him around the time of his surgery, RJ said Luigi had confirmed undergoing the procedure and sent him the x-ray photos. RJ called the images "heinous with giant screws going into his spine".

RJ Martin also asserted during his live call with CNN that he never had a conversation on guns or violence with Luigi. He added:

"He was absolutely a nonviolent person, as far as I could tell."

In a separate conversation with the Honolulu Civil Beat, RJ Martin said Luigi suffered from chronic back pain during his stay at Surfbreak from January to June 2022. RJ added the pain was caused by "an apparent pinched nerve".

Jackie Wexler, another former Surfbreak member who now works as a food technologist described Luigi Mangione as a "deeply compassionate person".