Florida Lottery: Pembroke Pines man has mom to thank for the jackpot winnings
A Pembroke Pines man who originally thought he had won just $4.50 on a Florida Lotto ticket, yesterday redeemed the jackpot winning ticket from the Aug. 23 drawing.
Peter J. Pillar, 52, chose a lump sum payment of $15.4 million rather than $27 million paid in 30 annual installments of $900,000.
"My mother told me I had three numbers right," said Pillar. "She didn't tell me she had only heard three numbers. I couldn't believe it, but I had the other three numbers, too."
Expecting $4.50, Pillar asked his 85-year-old mother to redeem his ticket while she was shopping. He returned two hours later to find his mother in the middle of a storm of celebration.
"At first, I thought something was wrong," Pillar said. "The store manager and the police came out with her and they told me 'Congratulations!' I said, 'Congratulations for what -- winning $4 dollars and 50 cents?'"
"My mother said, 'You just won the whole Lotto,'" Pillar recounted. 'The only thing I could say was 'Oh, my god!'"
Pillar traveled to Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee to yesterday collect his prize. He could have received his winnings in 30 annual installments of approximately $900,000 per year, but instead he chose a lump-sum payment of $15,367,661.09.
Only a "once in a while" lottery player, Pillar said he only bought the winning ticket because he had gone to the store to buy a ticket for his mother.
Pillar bought his lucky ticket at Columbus Food & Beverage, located at 9061 Pembroke Road in Pembroke Pines. The store has received a $10,000 retailer bonus for selling the winning jackpot ticket. The winning numbers for the August 23, 2003 drawing: 07-08-16-19-47-52.
Pillar said his immediate plans are to pay off his and his mother's credit card bills and to buy a new truck for himself.
Pillar is the 71st Lotto winner either to reside in or purchase a winning ticket in Broward County and the 730th Lotto winner to win at least $1 million since 1988.
The jackpot for Wednesday's Lotto drawing is estimated at $10 million.