Winning ticket, 2nd sold on Island in 10 weeks, purchased in Graniteville deli
A dollar, a dream, and a ticket from a Richmond Avenue deli.
In the past 10 weeks, Staten Island has produced a pair of lottery jackpot tickets worth a combined $24 million, and they've come from delis on the same street, separated by a few blocks.
In November, a couple from Bulls Head won $17 million from a $5 Quick Pick ticket at A&S Salumeria and Catering at 1720 Richmond Ave. in Bulls Head, walking away with a lump-sum check for $8.6 million.
On Saturday, Lady Luck flitted one neighborhood over, this time to Mignosi's Supermarket at 1430 Richmond Ave., Graniteville.
The latest winner, who declined an interview, is a middle-aged woman from Bulls Head who has been a regular at Mignosi's for about 20 years. She bought her $7 million ticket, which she split with three co-workers, on Thursday.
Her New York Lottery numbers -- 2, 5, 13, 18, 28, 36, with a bonus of 45 -- were the only winning combination in Saturday's draw.
Robert Mignosi, the shop's owner, sold the woman the ticket.
"It felt good, you know, that she's one of our regular shoppers," Mignosi said. "I wish they would have gotten more."
The four ladies took a lump sum, which worked out, after taxes, to a total of $2 million. They divided it, for $500,000 each. None of them are quitting work, but there has been talk of a house in Florida.
At Mignosi's yesterday, regular Lotto shoppers were shocked and delighted to hear their bucks were going to the right machine's buttons.
"I feel great now!" said Josephine Slattery, a Bulls Head resident who heard about the winner as she pocketed her own tickets.
Mignosi said the shop sells about 2,000 tickets a day. Staff said this is the biggest jackpot they can remember, though there have been wins in the thousands from Quick Draw.
"Usually, when a store hits, they think that store's a lucky charm," said Adrianna Dermanis, a clerk at the market, who was readying for a bump up in sales.
Store regular Walter Nielsen of Bulls Head, however, wasn't swayed. He visits the store each day and puts in about seven dollars' worth, but didn't seem ruffled that someone else won at his market.
"It's still the same odds," he said. "It happens. You go to the casino, you get up, and another guy hits."
Maybe even the same guy -- or gal.
Yesterday, the unnamed $7 million winner bought $17 more in tickets at the Graniteville store.
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