It was a lucky '13 for five $1 million New York lottery winners.
The newly flush quintet came forward Friday to collect its winnings, with the checks expected to arrive just in time for 2014, state lottery officials said.
Three hailed from New York City and two from Long Island, and all took a lump sum payout after taxes.
The winners included Long Island landscaper Marvin Rosales-Martinez, who found the answer to his fiscal prayers was blowing in the wind.
The 27-year-old Hicksville man was raking leaves in October 2012 when he spied a dampened "Win for Life" ticket floating on the breeze.
When the ticket came to earth in a pile of leaves and lawn clippings, Rosales-Martinez made his move.
"It was all wet, and I took it home and I dried it," he recounted. "When I found out I had won, I felt very lucky. I felt very happy."
But the landscaper had a long wait to cash in on his good fortune. Lottery officials conducted a yearlong investigation to ensure the winning ticket was legit and no one else tried to claim it as theirs.
"It's a lot of money," said the Spanish-speaking Rosales-Martinez through an interpreter. "I'm going to help my family, buy a bunch of little gifts and invest some of it."
Keith Robinson, 55, matched his winning Mega Millions numbers while reading the newpaper. The five winning digits led to a $623,040 payoff for the Harlem man.
Queens resident Karlene Zephirin was one day away from unemployment when she scored with a Powerball ticket. She bought the lucky ticket at a 7-Eleven near her job.
"When I went into work, my friend said someone at the 7-Eleven won and I should check my ticket," said Zephirin, 44. "But I didn't think anything of it."
When Zephirin finally checked at lunch, "I was shocked," she recalled. "I couldn't believe it. I was in shock. I'm still in shock."
The other two big winners were identified as Nathan Wilson, 55, of Staten Island, and Isai Cortez, 53, of Bay Shore, L.I.
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¡Que se rastrilla en!
That is raking it in!
When it's YOUR TIME, it can show up ANYWHERE!!! And to think that people frowned on the idea of my friends and I exploring TRASH CANS with GLOVES ON to find possible big winning tickets like the DUMPSTER DIVER did last year I think. I guess no one really believes in the SEEK AND YE SHALL FIND deal!! My buddy's son worked at a Shell station during that time, and before he left for a better job, he had found a total of $145 in winning tickets that were simply overlooked, misread, and tossed away. Call it what you want, but he came out ahead on the scratch-offs with no money spent whatsoever.
L.L.
I'd be interested to know if the lottery officials are in any way obligated to look into or investigate who really bought the ticket like they did in Iowa when that New York lawyer tried to claim a large prize there on the last day.
I wonder if they looked at any video and if they did, would they be obligated to publicize the video to try to find the original buyer of the ticket?
I'm not advocating for either side but "Bearer Instrument" seems to mean different things in different states.
One of my best friends lives in Hicksville... Whoever bears the ticket wins. Congrats to him and family!
Good for him I love it when people like him win. He obviously deserved to win it
So far as it is not another store clerk, or relatives, ripping off customers and claiming they found it in the dumpster {their back pockets}.
Guess I'll rake leaves more often, congrats to the winner.
lol...Is this the onion?
I am thinking the same thing.....his buddy is a store clerk and told the customer the ticket was not a winner. The clerk kept the ticket and gave it to this man and both are laughing all the way to the bank . Sounds reasonable to me.
The guy that mowed my yard last year said he found $100.00 bill in my yard
I GOT A NEW YARD GUY!
The ticket probably fell out of Julios pocket, then Hectors, then Pedros, then Caesars until Martinez was smart enough to turn it in.They will rip each other off in a heartbeat.
From what legal info I have read, a "Bearer Instrument" assumes whoever possesses the item is the owner of the item. The assumption can be challenged under some circumstances (example: someone steals it and if the theft can be proven in court then that trumps the Bearer claim).
Most lotteries will do some investigation of a winning claim over $10,000. On major wins, they will do more in-depth investigation before paying out a claim. One thing that the lottery is selling on is trust and that if you buy a ticket and win you will get the winnings. Paying out to someone not legally entitled to the winnings dilutes that trust. It is in the lottery's best interest to investigate large claims.
One thing about buying tickets in today's world: just about every place that sells tickets has recorded video surveillance. That coupled with time stamps of the video and the moment when a ticket was sold would mean every winning ticket purchaser could be identified by a video somewhere...
I still cannot understand how people lose tickets. But like the old saying says "Finders Keepers and loosers weepers" .
after reading all these stories, I am starting to think I will FIND a Jackpot win before I play and win one. LOL
I also am skeptical....something stinks in Denmark....