QUEENS, N.Y. – The New York Lottery’s Yolanda Vega and Jenny Garcia today introduced 13 new Lottery millionaires at Resorts World Casino New York City. The day’s biggest winners included two recent CASH4LIFE winners from Brooklyn and Queens who each received a $7,000,000 top prize.  A Queens scratch-off winner was also crowned New York’s first top prize winner of the Lottery’s new Cadillac & Cash scratch-off game.  

 

Unemployed Bayside Banker Wins $7,000,000 CASH4LIFE Jackpot from June 23 drawing

No midlife crisis here! William Morton of Bayside, Queens recently celebrated his 50^th birthday with a guaranteed $7,000,000 in the bank. The former investment banker was the sole jackpot winner from the CASH4LIFE drawing held on June 23. The unemployed bachelor turned Lottery millionaire said winning the jackpot was as easy as picking a few numbers.

 

“Yes, I picked my own numbers but they were random. There is really no significance to them,” said the jackpot winner. The winning numbers selected for the June 23 CASH4LIFE drawing were 05 16 21 33 47 and Cash Ball 04.

 

Morton said he started playing CASH4LIFE because it was a new game that gave him a new chance of winning. “The biggest Lottery prize I ever won prior to this was $25,” he said. “I started playing this game because I like the top prize.”

 

Morton has chosen to receive his $7,000,000 top prize in 20 annual installments totaling $365,000 (net $227,410). Once the $7,000,000 minimum payout has been met, his annual payments will continue for life.

 

When asked about his plans for the money, Morton said, “I have no idea really. It hasn’t sunk in yet.”

 

Brooklyn Bus Operator Stops Traffic with $7,000,000 CASH4LIFE Win from July 31 Drawing

Rodney Cochran, 61, of Brooklyn has been playing New York Lottery Games for over 30 years. The New York City Transit employee said he started playing the Lottery’s new CASH4LIFE game because “it was something new and sounded unbelievable!” Six weeks and $7,000,000 later, the single father said being a Lottery millionaire has definitely changed the way he operates.

 

“Unbelievable! It took me almost one hour to get my bus back to the depot which usually only takes me a half an hour because I was so nervous  that I was going to either get hit by a car or wake up from this dream!”

 

Cochran purchased his winning ticket at Los Siruelos Grocery Corp at 1122 Manhattan Avenue in Brooklyn. “Every day when I end my route I stop by this grocery store to use the restroom, and maybe buy some lottery tickets. I am a creature of habit and like clockwork, I ended my shift and headed to my spot,” But, this time, Cochran said something was different. “When I entered the store, the clerk that knows me said ‘we had a $1,000 a day for life winner from last night’s drawing!’ When I checked the results against my ticket, I saw that I was that winner!”

 

The winning numbers for the July 31 CASH4LIFE drawing were: 13 25 26 32 58 and Cash Ball 01.

 

Cochran opted to receive his $7,000,000 top prize in one lump sum payment, less applicable withholdings. He received a one-time check totaling $4,361,280 which he plans to use to “help my family, upgrade my living conditions and definitely get a new car!”

 

Hollis Grandmother Drives Away with New Cadillac® CTS™

“I liked the ticket and I felt lucky so I got one.” That’s how Nowatee Singh, a sixty-eight-year-old  certified nursing assistant from Hollis explained her strategy for winning the top prize on the Lottery’s new Cadillac & Cash scratch-off game which features a top prize of $500,000 cash and a new Cadillac® CTS™.

 

“I always buy the $5 tickets because I can’t afford the more expensive ones,” said the Guyanese mother of 2. “I saw the car on this one and I liked it so I got one. It was the first time I ever bought a ticket like this.”

 

Singh said she scratched her ticket and saw a match on the number 13. “I put the ticket in my pocketbook and went straight home.” Singh said she purchased and scratched her winning ticket at Zibber Corp. at 89-20 Northern Boulevard in Jackson Heights while en route to a friend’s house. “I never made it past the store,” she laughed. “I put the ticket in my pocketbook and headed straight home.”

 

Singh is the first New Yorker to win the top prize on the Cadillac & Cash ticket. Her tandem prize consists of a one-time payment of $500,000 (net $311,520) and a 2014 Cadillac® CTS™ valued at $70,574 including selected options, state tags, title fees, required state sales tax, state and federal withholding taxes, dealer preparation charges, delivery to an authorized dealer and associated fees. 

 

Singh plans to use a portion of her cash prize to help family. As for the car, the grandmother of 11 said, “It’s a lot of car. I hope it doesn’t go too fast for me.”

 

Other recent New York Lottery Millionaires to receive prize checks include:

 

• Delphine Paige-Lee from the Bronx’s north side who won a guaranteed $1,000,000 CASH4LIFE second prize from the August 7 drawing. Paige-Lee is employed as a NYC Transit Superintendent. She plans to use her $1,000 a week for life annuity prize to bolster her retirement savings and upgrade her home. She chose to receive her guaranteed $1,000,000 prize in 20 annual payments. Once that obligation is met, she will continue receiving an annual check for $52,000 (net $33,398) for life. Paige-Lee bought her winning ticket at RLP Stationery LLC at 3807 White Plains Road in the Bronx. The winning CASH4LIFE numbers from the August 7 drawing were 03 18 38 40 49 and Cash Ball 02.

 

• Hospital office manager Daisy Ramos of the Bronx today who won a top prize on the Win $1,000 A Week For Life scratch-off game. Ramos, 56, said she was thinking, “Wouldn’t it be nice to retire?” as she handed over $2 to the clerk at the 24 Deli Grocery at 1801 Williamsbridge Road in the Bronx in exchange for her life-changing ticket. The mother of two and grandmother of one said she planned to help family and donate to charity. Ramos elected to receive her prize in one lump sum totaling $800,024 (net $498,447).

 

• Johnnie Johnson of Brooklyn who has lucky number 16 to thank for his $1,000,000 win on the Extreme 8s scratch-off game. The Brooklynite claimed his prize at Resorts World Casino New York City without realizing it was worth $1,000,000. A subsequent letter from the Lottery explained Johnson’s turn of fortune and offered him a chance to take his prize as an annuity of lump sum. Johnson chose the lump sum which amounted to $780,000 (net $485,971). He purchased his ticket at Rochdale Junction, Inc. at 165-90 Baisley Boulevard in Jamaica.

 

• Husband and wife Umberto and Gina Forzano of Jackson Heights who split a $5,000,000 top prize on the $20 Maximum Millions scratch-off game. Umberto, a retired manager of an Italian imports store, purchased the pair’s ticket at the Lucky Smoke Shop at 96-09 Roosevelt Avenue in Corona. Umberto’s share of the prize totals $3,000,000 (net $1,869,120). Gina will take home the remaining $2,000,000, with a net value of $1,246,080.

 

• Roman Kandinov of Rego Park who did some homework before purchasing his $1,000,000 winning 25X The Cash scratch-off ticket. Kandinov said he chose this particular game after checking the Unclaimed Prize Report posted on the New York Lottery’s website (www.nylottery.org) and seeing there were still two top prizes left.  Kandinov chose to receive his prize in one lump sum payment in the amount of $760,000 (net $473,510). He purchased his winning ticket at Family Pharmacy at 2754 Third Avenue in the Bronx.

 

• Mother and son Eudalene and Charles Stewart from Queens Village and Mississippi, respectively. Eudalene Stewart claimed a $3,000,000 prize on a $100 Million Payout ticket purchased by her ailing husband. Stewart said she returned to the store with her husband to check a number of tickets, and overheard the clerk tell her husband, “This is one you should give to your wife for safekeeping.” Stewart split the prize 50/50 with her son at her husband’s request. Mother and son will each receive a lump sum in the amount of $1,135,000 (net $751,143). Both winners plan to help family and pay off debt.

 

 

• Machine operator Lawrence Anderson of Staten Island who won $1,000,000 on the Big Bucks Multiplier scratch-off game. Anderson bought his jackpot winner at his “Always go there store,” Armstrong Grocery at 4295 Amboy Road in Staten Island. After seeing his match on the number 16, Anderson hid his ticket in the closet until he could find the time to claim. He opted to receive his prize in 20 annual payments of $50,000 each (net $31,152 annually). He plans to use the extra money to “secure my future and supplement my pension.”

 

• Algis Valys of Center Moriches who won $1,000,000 from the Mega Millions drawing held on April 8. Valys purchased his ticket while food shopping at Waldbaum’s at 812 Montauk Highway in Center Moriches. The winning numbers for the April 8 Mega Millions drawing were 35 36 41 60 71 Mega Ball 03.

 

• Auto body shop owner and Lotto winner Gennero Ritieni of Massapequa who won a $2,900,000 jackpot from the drawing held on July 19. Ritieni who grew up watching his parents play Lotto said he used to joke that he kept missing the Lotto jackpot by only five numbers. “Now” he said, “I can’t tell that that joke anymore.” The much publicized winner purchased his jackpot-winning ticket at Cumberland Farms at 200 South Oyster Bay Road in Syosset. He chose to receive the cash value of his jackpot, earning him a one-time payment totaling $1,875,804 (net $1,241,407). He plans to use his prize to help family. The winning numbers for the July 19 Lotto drawing were 28 32 36 37 39 and 47.  

 

The New York Lottery contributed $1,048,350,198.80 in Lottery Aid To Education to school districts throughout New York City during fiscal year 2013-2014.

 

About the New York Lottery

The New York Lottery continues to be North America’s largest and most profitable Lottery, contributing $3.17 billion in fiscal year 2013-2014 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.