Francesco Mangione was born on July 23, 1957, in Sicily, Italy. His early life in Sicily was shaped by the culture and community of the island. In 1969, when he was 12 years old, he moved to Australia. His family settled in Moonee Ponds, a suburb of Victoria.

As a young man, Mangione began an apprenticeship with the State Electricity Commission of Victoria. He worked hard and showed great promise in his field. In 1978, he was recognized as the outstanding radio tradesman apprentice by the Industrial Training Commission of Victoria.

After completing his apprenticeship, Mangione left the State Electricity Commission in 1989. He then took a different path and began working as an ice cream van operator. This job became a significant part of his life.

In 1992, Mangione faced legal trouble when he was arrested in connection with a missing six-year-old girl found in his ice cream van. He was detained but later released due to a lack of evidence supporting any charges.

In 1993, a conflict arose between Mangione's family and that of another ice cream van operator named Giunta. This dispute escalated into a turf war, which included a violent fight between Mangione and Giunta. This conflict would have lasting effects on both families.

On 5 February 2002, Francesco Mangione attacked his cousin, Denis Giunta, in Giunta's home in Williamstown, Australia. Giunta had just returned home from work and stepped into the bedroom where his wife was sleeping. Mangione was waiting there. He used a homemade sword to slash and stab Giunta. When Laura, Giunta's wife, heard her husband's screams, she escaped through the bedroom balcony. She jumped to the ground but broke her leg in the fall and later needed a wheelchair and crutches during her recovery.

Giunta suffered massive injuries and died at the scene. After the attack, Mangione fled the house, leaving the weapon behind. DNA found on the weapon matched Mangione, and tools used to make the sword were discovered in his home.

The trial for Mangione started on 4 February 2004 and lasted for ten days. On 13 February 2004, a jury found him guilty of murder. Judge David Harper sentenced him to 22 years in prison, with a non-parole period of 18 years. Mangione appealed the severity of his sentence, but on 21 February 2006, the Supreme Court of Victoria dismissed his appeal. He continues to claim he is innocent. By 2010, Mangione was reported to be in Barwon Prison.