Her husband didn't listen — and it paid off to the tune of $169 million.
Mega Millions winner Nancy Viola asked her husband, Vito Viola — an NYPD sergeant — to buy Powerball tickets from the 2520 Foodmart in the Willowbrook section of Staten Island on Jan. 8. She had the Powerball fever that was gripping the country.
"Because the jackpot was $900 million," she said. "It was big. It was all everybody was talking about. He didn't listen."
Instead, her husband used a leftover dollar to buy a Quick Pick for the Mega Millions — 11, 39, 51, 57, and 75, with Mega Ball 2.
"That was a good thing," a beaming Viola said Thursday as she stood next to a giant check.
The following day, the Staten Island homemaker heard the winning ticket had been bought from the same location.
So she checked her ticket.
"I started with the Mega ball," she remembered. "I checked all the other numbers. They all matched, and can you imagine what that was like? I thought I was having a heart attack. There was a little screaming."
The couple kept the news quiet for months.
"We didn't tell anybody. We kept it a secret," she said. "It was difficult, but it's exciting now."
Viola and her husband — who joined the NYPD in 2005 and works out of the 120th Precinct — assembled a financial team and claimed the ticket on March 10. They chose to receive the prize as a one-time lump sum payment of $64,796,160.
Both 37, the couple hasn't made any big purchases yet. But Vito Viola has already put in for retirement.
"Lucky him," Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said at an unrelated press conference.
In Staten Island, Viola ducked questions about her personal life or how the family plans to spend the big win. She said they set up a foundation called The Orbity Fund LLC to cash the check.
"It's just absolutely amazing," she said. "It's just a blessing."
It is not the first time good fortune shone on her husband. In 2007 he helped deliver a baby in a Bay Ridge apartment. "We're trained in basic life saving techniques," Vito Viola told the Brooklyn Paper at the time. "But we're not certified to deliver a baby that's for sure."
As for the lottery win, the family was still coming to terms with the sudden wealth. "We want to let it all sink in," Nancy Viola said. "Anything is possible. Maybe a convertible. Everything is so new still. It has to just settle in, you know, see what happens. Buy a big house? Maybe in the future. It's a lot of money."
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That's awesome for them. Seems like they are planning to use the money responsibly. I'd be happy with $1M.
they took a long time to claim
Congratulations to the Lucky couple. Spend and invest wisely.
If they claimed the ticket on March 10th, why is this story only hitting Lottery Post on July 1st?
All it took was $1 quick pick ticket. Very lucky and congrats to them.
Huge congrats to the winners. Par-tay!!!!
That is the mysterious MM claimed, now where is that Chino Hills PB winner?
They claimed it 2 months after the drawing...... It just hasn't hit the news until yesterday.
Good for them.
Any one still deny Luck?
Congrates to this couple. Love stories like this, just proves it don't matter what system or routine you use, it's all about the luck of the draw.
Wow, that was nothing but a blessing. Spend it wisely like helping others that need help, like meeeeee lol. Just kidding. Congrads to the lucky couple.
WOW that's really nice!!
It was meant to be. Congrats to the Viola family!
I don't think he "bought the wrong ticket"
His wife called and said get a few PowerBall tickets...He takes out a $5 bill and buys 2 tickets @ $2 each and has $1 left over. He says...Give me ONE MEGA since that $169 mil jackpot wasn't too shabby. They win with the 1 ticket!
It wasn't the WRONG ticket, it was most definitely the RIGHT ticket!
Congrats!
What's the date and Time this ticket was bought ?? I can't see properly
Lovely job! Congratulations!
It was bought on Friday January 8th at 8:33 AM Eastern Standard Time.
Yolanda Vega is always "on".
Yea I was thinking the same thing?
Congratulations, enjoy your newfound wealth!
Congrats to the Lucky couple.
Can you imagine their winnings had they bought the right lottery ticket?
Thanks buddy..What's the seconds?
LOL they didn't win because they bought the wrong ticket, they won because they bought in a "Cain't lose" state.
You got that right. NY can leave lose
If that was true then why I haven't won yet? Since OCT 2011
You're the odd man out I guess?
34 seconds. 8:33:34, maybe i should buy my Mega millions ticket on Tuesday at that time. It worked for them.
Hey in Lotto math, 3-8 are the same number "mirror" haha
8:33 Time
Date 8th... just saying... hehe
9 = 4
8 = 3
7 = 2
6 = 1
5 = 0
Congratulations to this lottery jackpot winner. I didn't know that jackpot was revised upward from $165 million to $169 million in that upcoming draw on my sister (Phuong)'s 37th birthday because it was her birthday that day.
Nice one congrats
hurray for that brother in blue--congrats to my fellow staten islander also --it appears the NYPD just got another resignation --veryy good sgt viola --enjoy prosper god bless!!!!
Wow! $1 ticket!!
Nice observation
I agree with Gator!
Thanks
Congrats to the Viola couple but did they really have to show a picture of the husband? like his life is in any less dangerious as a cop.
That could be the reason the lottery waited to announce the win.
He put in for retirement and it takes a while for all the paperwork to go through.
By now, he is probably no longer a police officer.
Can some explain the math of a $169 million dollar win to less than $64 million after taxes. That's less than half. Thanks
$169 million is the value based on a 30-year annuity for megamillions if you choose to get paid over 30 years.. The actual cash value is a lot less if you choose the lump sum payment.They chose to receive the prize as a one-time lump sum payment of $64,796,160. Today, at the time of this post, Mega Millions is $449 million 30-year annuity, the cash value is only $313.3 million if you take one-time lump sum cash. Hope that makes it a little clearer for you. Remember 25% fed taxes and some portion of state taxes{if applicable} are also withheld before you see a dime of that money, then you go home and figure out what you owe come April 15. LOTTERY WINS SHOULD NEVER BE TAXED!!!.
Wow I didn't know that. I guess I would want to take 30 year annuinty to make sure I get all "my money" lol. So you have to pay taxes on your win every year as well? Time to figure out how those celebrities and 1% beat paying out their tax each year.
Yes, every year. It is sad that we are the only advanced nation that taxes lottery wins. Some idiots have said before, "If you don't like it, don't play".
Yes state taxes are applicable in this case, to the tune of 8.82% State and 3.5ish% City.
An emergency room doctor saves your life: His income is taxed
A soldier risks his life in the deserts of Iraq: His income is taxed
A food bank worker spends long hours helping people in need: Her income is taxed
You spend 5 minutes of your day off the sofa to get some tickets for a game of chance and happen to win big: Tax free?
We need to have a flat national rate of 50%. If you live in Texas then it's 50% Federal, 0% State, If you live in Buffalo (NY) then it's 41.18% Federal, 8.82% State etc etc. That way all you need is the cash value and you'll instantly know how much you'll get.
WRONG
Only 9 countries give it tax free (Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Liechentstein, New Zealand, and the UK).
+Austria, Poland, Hungary, Czech republic, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Ireland, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxemburg, Malta, Gibraltar, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Taiwan...