For Immediate Release:                                     Contact:  Communications Office

June 12, 2014                                                                     (518) 388-3415

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PLAINVIEW, N.Y. – The New York Lottery’s Gretchen Dizer today presented four ceremonial prize checks worth a collective $4,000,000 to a mix of Lottery scratch-off and draw game winners. The check presentations took place at the Lottery’s Customer Service Center in Plainview.

Record Collection Hides First Statewide “Million Dollar Winner”

Thirty-six-year old Andrew Noble of Oceanside is the first person statewide to claim a top prize on the brand new scratch-off game Million Dollar Winner, which was issued on April 29, 2014. 

Noble, a freelance video editor, received the ticket in a birthday card from his mother. When he scratched it off and saw the automatic win symbol, he thought for sure there was a catch.

“I was petrified that someone would tell me this wasn’t for real,” said Noble.

Noble and his mother returned to the store where she purchased the ticket, Rip’s Cards & Things at 3556 Long Beach Rd in Oceanside. The clerk verified the win and Noble made sure he took a receipt just in case.

Noble put the ticket where not too many people would look. “I hid it in my record collection; somewhere between some Inca harp music and an ambient noise compilation.”

As far as what he will do with his prize, Noble says he “won’t jump to any conclusions or spend it on anything frivolous.”

Noble’s mother plans to continue gifting Lottery tickets in cards and plans to do so for her husband this Father’s Day.

Noble has chosen the annuity and will receive 20 annual payments of $50,000 each, netting him $33,090/year.

Hempstead Newlywed Extends Honeymoon With $1M Powerball Win

Newlywed Gerard Miele, 48, had just returned from his honeymoon when he went for an oil change on May 31, 2014, stopping to pick up some cigarettes and a couple of lottery tickets on his way home. One of the tickets was for that night’s Powerball drawing.

The following day, Miele and his wife Abigail returned to the same store where she noticed a sign which read “We had a $1,000,000 winner in last night’s Powerball drawing.” Abigail told Gerard, “That could be you.”

When the Mieles got home and checked the ticket, they were shocked to find that the $1M Powerball second prize ticket was indeed Gerard’s. The win came with an unexpected side effect; Miele said he smoked a lot less in the days leading up to claiming his ticket.

“I was shaking too much to hold a match,” said Miele.

His plans for the money include paying bills and saving for an early retirement from his job at a commercial printer. He will receive his prize as a lump sum, netting him $661,800.00.

Miele purchased his ticket at K&R Convenience & Smoke, 485 Hempstead Turnpike, W Hempstead. The winning numbers were 15-27-31-34-48 and Powerball 1.

Sports Enthusiast from Long Beach Wins $1M Mega Millions Second Prize

Michael Fuchs, 58, knows exactly what he will be doing with the $1,000,000 he won from the May 2, 2014 Mega Millions drawing.  Fuchs says he hasn’t been to see his beloved Yankees or Rangers play in a very long time because, “average people can’t afford to go anymore.” Now, it’s a different story.

The IT specialist for the North Shore LIJ Health System said he’s been playing the same numbers for so long that he can’t remember why he picked them.  

“I know a couple of the numbers are for my girls’ birthdays, and there might be an anniversary, but I think I picked a couple at random just to fill in the blanks,” said Fuchs.

Fuchs purchased his ticket on the day of the drawing at Point Sunko Corp., 12 Lido Blvd. in Point Lookout when he was on his way home from work. He said, “I’m too superstitious about my numbers coming up and me not being in it. That would be my luck.”

Fuchs realized he had a million dollar winner while going through his mail Saturday evening. He ran across the winning numbers on a printout he had picked up earlier in the day.

“I was sitting in my chair and I saw I had the first five numbers. I double-checked and double-checked some more and kept thinking ‘OMG! OMG! OMG!’” Fuchs called his daughters, aged 23 and 28, to share the good news.

When asked about his plans for the money, Fuchs said, “My daughters know I’ll take care of them. That doesn’t always mean buying them things; it just means I’ll always put them first.”

Fuchs will receive his prize as a lump sum, totaling $661,800. The winning numbers were 1-18-26-35-40 and Megaball 13.

“Pay Me!” Jackpot for Laid-Off Floral Park Bookeeper

Marcela Olvina, 59, admitted that although she was excited, the act of winning of $1M jackpot on the Pay Me! scratch off ticket from the New York Lottery was pretty uneventful.

“I went to the store for some groceries and the idea hit me that I should get a ticket, so I did.” Olvina said she bought three scratch-off tickets and scratched them all in the store. “Number one was a no. Number two was a no. Number three had a coin and I won,” she said.

Olvina has been in a state of shock ever since. “I keep going between believing and not believing; smiling and worrying. Is it real?”

Olvina has chosen to receive her prize as a lump sum of $830,000, which nets her $549,294 after withholdings. She plans to pay bills and invest.

The winning ticket was purchased at AB News & Lotto, 4002 69^th St. in Woodside, NY.

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.