Turk
Young, Gifted, and Black
A lucky lottery player who bought a Quick Pick ticket at an upstate truck stop hit the $326 million Mega Millions jackpot Tuesday night — the largest prize in New York state history.
Lottery officials said Wednesday afternoon that they were waiting for the sole winner to step forward to claim the fortune.
The golden ticket was purchased at a Valero gas station and store on Route 302 in Orange County town Middletown, about 75 miles north of New York City.
Truck stop owner Michael Nafash, 53, said he hoped the winner was one of his regular customers.
“It’s a big bonus for the store,” said Nafash, who stands to collect $10,000 for selling the jackpot slip.
“Everybody is in a good mood, let’s just say that, even though it’s not our money,” Nafash said.
Norman Y. Lono/for New York Daily News This sign conveys the excitement of lottery and store officials.
The winning numbers in the multistate drawing were 9, 15, 24, 39 and 41 plus Mega Ball number 1.
The super bonanza tops the $319 million won in 2011 by seven state employees from Albany.
Besides being the biggest in New York state history, the prize ranked as the eighth-largest Mega Millions jackpot ever offered.
“This really is the true luck of the draw, as the winner purchased a Quick Pick ticket instead of using preselected numbers,” said Gardner Gurney, acting director of the Lottery Division at the New York State Gaming Commission. “Now they are sitting on a gold mine.”
The ticket holder will have the option of taking the $326 million in 30 annual payments, or collecting a lump sum of $197,456,087 before taxes.
Middletown, N.Y., Valero store and gas station employees Venetia Perkins, 42, left, and Roel Lopez, 18, right, say they're happy for the person who bought the Mega Millions winning ticket.
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“That money is a life changer,” said Nafash, who has previously sold several lottery jackpot tickets worth up to $50,000.
Two Lottery employees showed up at Nafash’s Valero station Wednesday and put a sign over the front door reading, “We sold the New York Mega Millions Jackpot Winner.”
Roel Lopez, 18, a cashier at the gas station, wondered if he was the one who handed out the winning ticket.
“There are so many stores out there. What are the odds this would happen here?” Lopez said. “Did I sell the winning ticket? Honestly, I’m not sure. I hope I did. I hope I touched the winning ticket.”
whutchinson@nydailynews.com
Why not me Lord?
Lottery officials said Wednesday afternoon that they were waiting for the sole winner to step forward to claim the fortune.
The golden ticket was purchased at a Valero gas station and store on Route 302 in Orange County town Middletown, about 75 miles north of New York City.
Truck stop owner Michael Nafash, 53, said he hoped the winner was one of his regular customers.
“It’s a big bonus for the store,” said Nafash, who stands to collect $10,000 for selling the jackpot slip.
“Everybody is in a good mood, let’s just say that, even though it’s not our money,” Nafash said.
The winning numbers in the multistate drawing were 9, 15, 24, 39 and 41 plus Mega Ball number 1.
The super bonanza tops the $319 million won in 2011 by seven state employees from Albany.
Besides being the biggest in New York state history, the prize ranked as the eighth-largest Mega Millions jackpot ever offered.
“This really is the true luck of the draw, as the winner purchased a Quick Pick ticket instead of using preselected numbers,” said Gardner Gurney, acting director of the Lottery Division at the New York State Gaming Commission. “Now they are sitting on a gold mine.”
The ticket holder will have the option of taking the $326 million in 30 annual payments, or collecting a lump sum of $197,456,087 before taxes.
Middletown, N.Y., Valero store and gas station employees Venetia Perkins, 42, left, and Roel Lopez, 18, right, say they're happy for the person who bought the Mega Millions winning ticket.
Previous Next
“That money is a life changer,” said Nafash, who has previously sold several lottery jackpot tickets worth up to $50,000.
Two Lottery employees showed up at Nafash’s Valero station Wednesday and put a sign over the front door reading, “We sold the New York Mega Millions Jackpot Winner.”
Roel Lopez, 18, a cashier at the gas station, wondered if he was the one who handed out the winning ticket.
“There are so many stores out there. What are the odds this would happen here?” Lopez said. “Did I sell the winning ticket? Honestly, I’m not sure. I hope I did. I hope I touched the winning ticket.”
whutchinson@nydailynews.com
Why not me Lord?
