GARDEN CITY, N.Y. – The New York Lottery’s Yolanda Vega introduced six new Lottery winners hailing from Nassau and Suffolk Counties today. The six winners, consisting of Powerball and scratch-off players, were presented with ceremonial oversized checks totaling $7,000,000.

Suffolk County Scratch-off Player Wins New York Gold

Pamela Dyber, 56, of Centereach, Suffolk County, won a $1,000,000 top prize on the New York Gold scratch-off game.

Dyber purchased her winning ticket at BJ’s Wholesale Club on Old Nichols Road in Hauppauge. She said she went numb when she realized she had just won $1,000,000 and ran out of the store immediately. Dyber hid the ticket in her kitchen cabinet and checked it multiple times to make sure it was real until she could claim her prize at the Lottery’s Garden City Customer Service Center on May 31.

Dyber, a nurse for a psychiatric center for 30 years, said she was already planning to retire before her Lottery win. She plans to use her net check of $555,912 after required withholdings to help with her move to Florida and to enjoy retirement.

East Moriches Powerball Player Wins $1M Prize

Patricia “Pat” Turchiano of East Moriches, Suffolk County, won a $1,000,000 Powerball second prize from the May 15 drawing. 

Turchiano learned she won the day after the drawing when a coworker at the Southampton Town Hall was reading the winning numbers from the Lottery’s web site. “I asked a coworker to pick up a ticket for me when she went out to get one for herself,” explained the 62-year-old Turchiano. “I forgot I even had a ticket until I heard her reading the winning numbers. I never play so I didn’t think to check them myself. We were thinking I won $100 or something for matching five numbers and then we found out it was a million. There was a lot of screaming and a lot of hugging.” 

Turchiano’s winning ticket was purchased at Southampton Stationery on Hampton Road in Southampton.  She will receive her prize as a one-time lump sum totaling $661,800 after required withholdings. She plans to use her prize to cushion her golden years. “I’ve been thinking about moving back to Maine where I grew up. It’ll just make life a lot easier.”

50^th Wedding Anniversary Celebrations Win Suffolk County Couple a $1M Prize

Retired heavy equipment operator Allen Balzarano, 73, of Port Jefferson Station, Suffolk County won a $1,000,000 Powerball second prize from the drawing held on May 18.

Balzarano bought his winning ticket at Carry-All Wine & Liquor on Nesconset Highway, Mount Sinai while shopping for celebratory supplies.

“I bought the ticket while I was buying wine and champagne to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary,” explained the father of one and grandfather of one. “Our anniversary isn’t for another few months, but we‘ve been celebrating all year.”

Balzarano said his good fortune was a near miss. “I went into the store and asked the clerk for a Mega Millions Quick Pick,” said the occasional Lottery player. “She said, ‘I think you mean Powerball, right?’” explained Balzarano noting the $600,000,000 jackpot up for grabs for that evening’s drawing. “I corrected myself and got a $2 Powerball Quick Pick instead.”

Balzarano also noted it was his wife that told him to check his ticket. “She told me a winning ticket was sold at the store where I bought ours and she kept telling me to check my numbers, but I took my time.”

Balzarano said he wasted no time claiming once he checked the winning numbers. He claimed his winning ticket on May 28 at the Lottery’s Garden City Customer Service Center.

Balzarano will receive a net check of $661,800. He plans to use his Lottery prize to help family and continue his year-long anniversary celebration. “Maybe we can take that trip to Italy we’ve always talked about, too.”

Nassau County Grandparents Win $1M Powerball Prize

Herb Mazzola, 68, of Massapequa Park, Nassau County, won a $1,000,000 Powerball second prize from the May 15 drawing. The retired NYPD officer bought his ticket the day of the drawing at Tutal Convenience on Broadway in Massapequa after spending the morning babysitting his three grandchildren.

 “I walked into the store and played my usual numbers and then I asked for a Quick Pick ticket to go with it and it’s a good thing I did because not one of my numbers came up!” he said. Luckily, his Powerball Quick Pick matched the first five numbers drawn, winning him a $1,000,000 second prize.

Mazzola said he spends about $5 a week on Lottery. “That’s $5 too much for my wife,” he joked. He said he always plays when the jackpot “gets up there” but he never spends more than his usual $5. “I figure if you’re gonna win, it’s gonna be with one ticket – you either have it or you don’t.” 

Mazzola claimed his winning ticket at the Lottery’s Garden City Customer Service Center on May 16. He decided to split his Powerball prize with his wife, Mary Jane. They will each receive $330,900 after required withholdings. They plan to use their Lottery winnings to do some repairs around the house and visit family in Florida.

West Hempstead Man is the First $3M Winner on the New Three Million Scratch-off Game

Samuel Clemons, 40, of West Hempstead, Nassau County, won a $3,000,000 top prize on the new Three Million scratch-off game. Clemons purchased the ticket at the 7-Eleven on Jerusalem Avenue in Bellmore on June 6, two days after the game was released. 

Clemons was heading to his office when he decided to stop for a cup of coffee at 7-Eleven. He said the he plays Set For Life scratch-off games a couple times a week, but thought “what the heck” and bought a Three Million game too.

“People say you should try the new games,” he explained.

The Nassau County Department of Public Works employee said he stayed calm and went back to work after he scratched off his $3,000,000 ticket. Clemons said he watched the Spurs game that night to distract himself until he could claim his winning ticket the next day at the Lottery’s Garden City Customer Service Center.

Clemons chose to receive his prize as a one-time lump sum of $2,520,000 (net $1,667,736). “It will help me out a little,” Clemons said of his Lottery win. He is going to take time to figure out what he really wants to do with the money, but said he plans on visiting his brother in the meantime. 

The New York Lottery contributed $219,832,350.09 in Lottery Aid To Education to school districts throughout Suffolk County during fiscal year 2012-13.

The New York Lottery contributed $111,742,026.75 in Lottery Aid To Education to school districts throughout Nassau County during fiscal year 2012-13.

About the New York Lottery

The New York Lottery continues to be North America’s largest and most profitable Lottery, contributing $3.04 billion in fiscal year 2012-2013 to help support education in New York State.  The Lottery’s contribution represents 15 percent of total state education aid to local school districts. 

New York Lottery revenue is distributed to local school districts by the same statutory formula used to distribute other state aid to education.  It takes into account both a school district’s size and its income level; larger, lower-income school districts receive proportionately larger shares of Lottery school funding.

About the New York State Gaming Commission

The New York State Gaming Commission regulates all aspects of gaming and gambling activity in the state, including horse racing and pari-mutuel wagering, class III Indian gaming, video lottery terminal facilities at race tracks, the state lottery and charitable gaming.