Thirty-nine-year-old Yvette Moscatello of Wallkill made a routine stop for coffee at the Stewart’s Shops on Route 32 in Modena and walked out with a $2.5M winning Lottery ticket.  Moscatello purchased a $2,500 a Week for Life scratch-off ticket, a ticket she said she doesn’t normally play.

“I don’t normally play the life tickets,” said Moscatello.  “Those are my husband’s games.  He always plays them.”

It was the color of the ticket that caught Moscatello’s eye.  “I set my coffee down on the counter.  They had the tickets under the glass and the $2,500 a Week for Life ticket stood out to me.  It was so bright and colorful.”

Moscatello scratched the ticket the following evening and didn’t realize at first she was an instant millionaire.  “At first I overlooked that it was a winner,” she explained.  “I saw that I had matching 4s and that it was a jackpot.  I ran to get my husband and we couldn’t believe it.  We must have looked at the ticket a hundred times just to make sure!”

Moscatello opted to receive her prize as a one-time lump sum payment.  She will receive a net check totaling $1,311,031 after required withholdings.

When asked how it feels to win the Lottery Moscatello said, “Amazing.  I feel very grateful.  I play for fun and didn’t think I’d be here today.”  Her plans for the money include investments and college funds for her children.  “I want to be smart about it.”

Moscatello is the 9th New York Lottery player to claim a prize totaling $1,000,000 or more in 2018.

The New York Lottery contributed $26,045,093 in Lottery Aid to Education to school districts in Ulster County during fiscal year 2016-2017.

About the New York Lottery

The New York Lottery continues to be North America’s largest and most profitable Lottery, contributing $3.27 billion in fiscal year 2016-2017 to help support education in New York State. The Lottery’s contribution represents approximately 14 percent of total state education aid to local school districts.