Lottery winner is ready to thank the ones who helped him through it all

By Kate Northrop

GLOUCESTER, Mass. — After making it through some trying times, one Massachusetts man is getting the pick-me-up he deserves in the form of a $1 million lottery prize from an instant game.

Brian Parisi of Gloucester has been through a lot in the past couple years, but a $1 million lottery win from a Massachusetts Lottery scratch-off helped lift his spirits.

Two years ago, Parisi sustained a significant injury in a car accident and was subsequently diagnosed with cancer.

The fateful stop he made at Ed's Mini Mart on Washington Street in Gloucester would serve to turn things around for the better.

He picked out a ticket from the Lottery's $5 "Double Your Money" scratch-off game that had gone on sale in March. In just an instant, Parisi had become the game's first $1 million top prize winner.

Having claimed his prize as a $650,000 lump sum (before taxes) at Lottery headquarters in Dorchester last week, Parisi said he plans on using a portion of the winnings to replace the roof on his brother-in-law's house as a way of thanking him for supporting him through troubled times. He'll also invest some of the money for himself and his two sons.

Ed's Mini Mart will receive a $10,000 bonus commission from the Lottery for selling the top prize-winning ticket.

With Parisi claiming the first $1 million top prize in the "Double Your Money" instant game, three more top prizes remain. There are also 136 out of 168 second-tier prizes of $2,000 and 1,640 out of 2,016 third-tier prizes of $1,000 left to claim.

(Click to display full-size in gallery)After making it through some trying times, Brian Parisi of Gloucester, Massachusetts is getting the pick-me-up he deserves in the form of a $1 million lottery prize from an instant game.