PASSAIC, N.J. — The winner of a $338.3 million Powerball jackpot told several media outlets Monday that his first priority will be helping his family.
Pedro Quezada, 44, entered Eagle Liquors store, where the ticket was sold, late Monday afternoon. The Passaic store owner ran Quezada's ticket through the lottery machine to validate that it was a winner as a newspaper and television outlets recorded the moment.
The New Jersey Lottery confirmed that the winning ticket was validated at the store at 4:30 p.m. Monday, but officials said they didn't yet know the winner's name.
(See related: Liquor store in Passaic, NJ, sold winning Powerball ticket, Lottery Post, Mar. 25, 2012.)
Quezada told reporters in Spanish that he was "very happy" and that he intends to help his family.
His wife, Ines Sanchez, told the Bergen Record that Quezada called her with the news Monday afternoon.
"I still can't believe it," she said. "We never expected it but thank God."
The numbers drawn Saturday were 17, 29, 31, 52, 53 and Powerball 31. A lump sum payout would be $221 million, or about $152 million after taxes. It's the fourth-largest jackpot in Powerball history.
The family's apartment sits at the end of a short dead end block that abuts a highway in Passaic, 15 miles northwest of New York City. Neighbors stood out in the rain Monday night and spoke with pride that one of their own had struck it rich.
Eladia Vazquez has lived across the street from Quezada's building for the past 25 years. The block has a half-dozen three-story brick apartment buildings on each side, and Vazquez says it's a neighborhood where everyone knows everyone, including what car they drive and what parking space they use.
Vazquez described Quezada and his wife as "quiet and not overly talkative" but sensed that they seemed to be working all the time.
"This is super for all of us on this block," she said. "They deserve it because they are hardworking people."
Richard Delgado, who lives down the block from Quezada's building, said the man was "a hard worker, like all of us here. We all get up in the morning and go to work."
Delgado said he got up Sunday morning and was going to take his dog for a walk when he heard the radio announce the Powerball results.
"When I heard there was one winner and it was in New Jersey, I immediately went and checked my tickets," Delgado said. "I wanted to be that guy."
When asked what it would be like to suddenly win such a large amount, Delgado said a person would have to set priorities.
"No. 1 is your health, because if you don't have that, the rest doesn't matter," he said. "No. 2 is your family. You take care of your own and live the rest of your life in peace. That's all anyone can do."
No one had won the Powerball jackpot since early February, when Dave Honeywell in Virginia bought the winning ticket and elected a cash lump sum for his $217 million jackpot.
The largest Powerball jackpot ever came in at $587.5 million in November. The winning numbers were picked on two different tickets — one by a couple in Missouri and the other by an Arizona man — and the jackpot was split.
Nebraska still holds the record for the largest Powerball jackpot won on a single ticket — $365 million — by eight workers at a Lincoln meatpacking plant in February 2006.
Powerball is played in 42 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The chance of matching all five numbers and the Powerball number is about 1 in 175 million.
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May he get quality investing advice, and enjoy good health and peace of mind.
Congratulation Mr Quezada
So happy for him and his family... no more daily job pressures and stress
Way to soon.........but I hope nothin but good things for them.
"When I heard there was one winner and it was in New Jersey, I immediately went and checked my tickets," Delgado said. "I wanted to be that guy."
A sentiment shared by every lottery player when lady luck comes to their hometown!
Congratulations!
Yeah, and its time to move out of the neighborhood Pedro, you won, not the people around you, because you will find out real fast how people will show up at your door with many sad, phoney heartbreaking stories. They are being formulated as we speak. You know only too well that 25 years in one spot is a bit much.
You are not the Statue of liberty with the " Give me your tired, your poor- your huddled masses"..although those around you may think so..
Congrats to the lucky guy, enjoy.
The Passaic store owner ran Quezada's ticket through the lottery machine to validate that it was a winner as a newspaper and television outlets recorded the moment.
Any pictures or videos regarding with his ticket validation? I wanna see what it looks like.
yeah really i thought they keep the address quite, wow everyone knows everyone SMALL WORLD!
Small world indeed- question is, is it a " if you win the lottery we ALL win the lottery kind of a town?"
Congratulations to Pedro Quezada & Ines Sanchez
spend wisely
he did speak Spanish
that is the american way
He shoulda got out of that neighborhood before saying anything.
I hope everything goes well for him and his family.
you can say that again
OMG this guy is an idiot. Wins on Sat night/Sun morning and runs right away to let the whole world know that it was him on Monday morning. I get the impression he is not the brightest bulb in the box. I expect this to be another tragic lottery story.
Why on Earth would you not wait awhile, get all your affairs in order and try to remain hidden for as long as possible?
Vote for Pedro, and all your wildest dreams will come true.
what would you call that? having a lot of Dollars with no cents
Lol you soooo crazy
that was Dynamite in my JJ voice
Oh boy... I hope his luck holds out, he may have spoke too soon...
This story wont end well .Guy claims all that money in less than 24 hours he sill be brokw in no time .He didnt even have time to arrange a meeting let along have a plan of action to allocate all that money.May God bless him.
Dy-no-mite!!!
Venom- he may very well be an " idiot" but then he would be an idiot with Money.Can you say the same?
Like the scene in the " Book of Eli" where Denzel cuts off that bad guy's hand faster than he could blink, the guy looked at his stump and asked " why did you do that?"
Denzel replied to his posse- " His in Shock"- Pedro seems to have both hands but his " In Shock".
Venon- maybe thats the very reason he won and the very reason you didn't !!
I think I would be in shock too if I had a small piece of paper in my hand worth 338 million dollars.
I wish him luck with his new fortune but I hope he realizes how many people are going to come out of the woodwork who think they are entitled to some of the money. As the saying goes, "if you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail..."
So what's the reason you didn't?
The girl in the story below this won $10 million, now she is penniless and riding the bus. Winning is hard, keeping it is even harder.
The world is littered with stories of lottery winners that are dead broke and some that are just plain dead.
The vast majority of the time the people that tend to have money in the end are the ones that had some money before.
Venom- he may very well be an " idiot" but then he would be an idiot with Money.Can you say the same?
Like the scene in the " Book of Eli" where Denzel cuts off that bad guy's hand faster than he could blink, the guy looked at his stump and asked " why did you do that?"
Denzel replied to his posse- " His in Shock"- Pedro seems to have both hands but his " In Shock".
cut that in half and before taxes that's if he take cash option
I would still be in shock. I'm in shock when I match the mega number and break even.
Agreed. Let's hope he immediately sought some good legal and financial assistance after his trip to the store. Now that everyone knows what his building looks like, there will be hoards of gimmie's hanging outside his door.
Congrats to him anyway. May he & his family get the right help, stay safe, and spend wisely.
LOL.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEJFWoAVJz4
I love that clip. It makes me want to watch the movie now.
Lmao!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bet his neighbors,distant relatives,and opportunity seekers are knocking on his door right now to help him celebrate his winnings.
Hope he has another place to stay that is unknown to everyone, unless he intends to share his windfall with them.
Reason why the lottery commission was recommending the winner not to come forward right away was because the anonymous lottery winner bill is in the works. Guess he does not know about it,and or,
if he did, does not wish to remain anonymous or wait for the bill to pass.
After fed and state taxes this guy should clear around $130-140 million. That's a sh*t-ton of dough.
If he blows though that, he'll be the ultimate 'loser' lottery story.
Here's hoping he proves all the nay-sayers wrong.
Pedro, find a tax attorney and park this stash in tax-free munis, short-intermediate term bonds. Don't open bars, restuarants, or anything else you know nothing about.
Move out of the neighborhood, take care of your extended family and your very best friends.
Godspeed.
Amen Arrowhead! Amen!
I hope he proves everybody wrong too.
Congrats on winning big pedro and have a blast with your money. P.S. spend it in moderation don't give it away and enjoy life you deserve it.-weshar75
Congrats Pedro!
Pedro...beware of Mr Delgado. He's doing interviews.
Congrats Pedro, just stay away from buying pimped out Cadillacs and you will do fine.
when someone has never had anything chances are slim
He couldn't resist his desire for a 15-minute fame.
The prevailing equation that allowed Pedro to win, without which there would not have been a winning for Pedro, does not support your position.
He is not what you say that he is, and he had, what no one else held, on the winning night.
I am glad that Arizona where I currently hail from is considering passing the anonymous bill that allows a lotto jackpot winner and other big winners to remain anonymous.
was it a Quick pick or has anyone heard?? if it said i must have missed it
That's awesome, I would hate to go public if I won. You would have to beef up your home security, there are crazy people out there.
Me too!!!!! Lol :)
That neighborhood where he bought the ticket looks fairly ghetto... my experience while living in DC, people in these urban areas ain't very friendly and if they are, it is only because they want something from you.
Soon after I got stationed in DC, I remember getting a lot of blank stares and frowns from people if I gave them a friendly hello as I passed 'em by while walking home from post. After a while, I just gave up, people there seemed to prefer to keep to themselves.
I hope Pedro has heard of Jack Whittaker's failure and chooses not to go down a similar path. May God bless and protect him and his family.
Of course, helpmewin, he won't actually have any of those "Dollars" until 6 weeks or so from when he submits the official Claim Form, with % sharing breakdowns, if any.
Anyhow, congratulations to this now well known PB jackpot winner. Quite a big gambler if he purchased a lottery ticket(s) each day at the same lottery retailer!
This is why a 1st or 2nd big prize lottery game winner SHOULDN'T return to where they purchased their winning lottery ticket. Only check over a computer or a newspaper far from where ticket was purchased!
[By now, most of us LotteryPost.com members have ascertained that not only is the local and/or metro press waiting for 4+ hours in that winning lottery retailer's parking lot, but that press also has a "driver/tracker" who is also in the parking lot, prepared to IMMEDIATELY follow a "winner" for the rest of the day (eventually following them home, calling their press employer, and waiting at street curb until their employer's head journalist arrives to knock on the winner's door, while simultaneously sending several support journalists to knock on nearby neighbor's door's then interview). Outcome is that a winner's picture is plastered all over the place several weeks BEFORE they received any lottery cash!]
Ugh, noise-gate, I hope you meant to type "he's" or "he is;" since "his" makes no sense in your last sentence.
After completing and delivering the NJ Lottery Headquarter's official Claim Form, I hope that Pedro quickly compares on-line, then purchases a 30-year, $2M term life, A+++ company insurance policy on himself (and same amount for his wife).
However, Pedro did chose to speak to the interviewing press in Spanish, so perhaps he isn't a legal U.S.A. Citizen. Therefore, this couple would have to obtain both term life insurance policies from whatever country(ies) he and/or his wife are a legal citizen in.
let me understand this right
state govt, in final stages of making a law allowing anonymous winners....
all this guy had to do is wait for there slow beeping govt to make it law via gov signing it........
then this guy, goes to 1 store in state, , where all media at, waiting like a pack of wild predators.............
, look at me world, o wow i just found out i won, hello there media, am the winner, yes Sir, this here is winning ticket.............
we see what happens,
but if this guy could not sit back,wait to claim,and not tell a soul. no sir, not this guy.
i fear he has no idea what hes getting into
how badly everyone will treat him as ATM
this has all ready happened before, "spends next 10 mins looking up youtube videos"
i found it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvnJ9Tiztcc
meet our past study, he just walked right up to media and showed it off. right at the darn store!
the great thing thro, never seen any bad updates about him
so am guesting u can Hide atfer being a show off to media.....
ether way, best of luck for this winner
hope he knows how to Hide........ at lest form the predators
He will be on the Today show this morning
Don't worry . . . be happy . . . he will be flooded with lawyers and "financial advisors" they will all help him!!
I wish them well
( hombre muerto caminando )
for once you and I agree. I hate to say it but I see a dead man walking.
My correction... he wasn't on the Today show, it was a small story they did.
Learn English!
Great. So now we could all go back to not watching the Today show.
lmao, yeah
he can't stand still that for sure, i just seen him on T.V.
right after that they showed the chocolate stamps yep we gonna be able to eat the stamps
I heard he may appear on the Tomorrow show instead.
What is american about speaking spanish!? Press 1 for English! What do you need to do when you go visit or move to another country? Hopefully it's learn the main language there!
Perhaps there is still time for him to get out?
Haveaball-l did not see the interview and had no reason too, but l was speaking of the overall win and him being in shock at having the only winning ticket and the amount in question.
Your post is somewhat offensive to Spanish speaking people in my opinion though l myself am not Latino. Are you seriously suggesting that just because Pedro addressed the press in his Mother tongue, he is' nt a legal citizen? Boy you have balls. The dude OWNS a deli for a number of years in NJ and besides non citizens can play the lottery & win as well.Ever heard of the term " legal resident"?- Your mental attitude needs adjusting. .imho.
Probably doesn't know any better. he saw he won the thing ran down to cash it in. He has no idea what a big target is on his back now. When I saw his picture in the paper and he was talking to the press and all his neighbors knew he won I thought to myself that is going to be a huge mistake. I'm praying for him and his family.
Its called SHOCK - Tyler. It wears off once reality sets in.
Obviously he has already made some big mistakes, hopefully he is a strong willed person and can tell all the people who are going to come out of the woodworks to got take a walk.
Sad part is NJ legislators passed a bill that would let you stay anonymous for a year, they are just waiting for Christie to sign it. A little patience and he could have avoided having his picture plastered all over the paper along with his name and where he lives.
Don't believe Jack Whitaker ever went broke.
He acted the clown and ended up in headlines---ripped off in strip-club parking lots and such, caught drunk driving, and his daughter unfortunately died, I think (not that that had anything to do with his winning the lottery).
Whitaker was actually a successful business owner before he won big and gave alot to his community after he won.
Like I said earlier, this recent winner's windfall is so large I literally believe you'd have to be the dumbest individual on planet Earth to eat through it all in a lifetime or even get close
Agreed that he needs to move from his current digs---like yesterday---get a couple professionals to get him set up tax and investment-wise, and he should go back to school. Take a few classes on personal finance and such at a local community college so he has a basic understanding of taking care of his money. Above all, don't pretend you're suddenly an entrepreneur, opening businesses, bars, nightclubs, etc. where employees and other leeches will suck you dry.
And again, I hope this guy is a success story who has the final laugh on all the doubters.
He might not blow through the money but he could get killed for his money like that dude down in Florida.
Just read about him on the news here in the UK, nice guy but he needs to go learn English and maybe take a class or two in how to keep his money in check. Hopefully he doesn't give in to the leeches who will suck him dry.
Everyone here agrees on one thing---he needs to get the hell outta Dodge. Hopefully he's already done that or is in the process of.
His name is NOT Robert Paulson, it's Abraham Shakespeare.
.................Were his numbers a ."quick pic ' ...???
It's time, noise-gate, to get reading glasses [or increased comprehension skills], because your far fetched responses show that you didn't understand anything I typed.
i was wondering the same thing, havent heard back from anyone maybe i will call NJ Lottery office
i called NJ she said it will be released later today
so we must now wait
people in these urban areas ain't very friendly and if they are, it is only because they want something from you.
Kumo, that is a blanket statement.
What would he want with life insurance, and for such a small amount?
"... keep his money in check" or he could keep it in cash!
I see what you did there.
This Powerball winner will soon be living the dream!
Good Luck!!!!! Best Wishes!!!!
I hope it stays a dream and doesn't become a nightmare. It's great to see hardworking, regular people win.
I hope it's my turn next to be a jackpot winner!
Welcome to the LP ShowMeTheMoney$
When a member dies on a mission he has a name This man's name was Robert Paulson....his Name was Robert Paulson
Fight club quotes never get old!
Congratulations: Pedro and his lovely wife.
Remember Pedro: God is Great, beer is good, and people are crazy! - Billy Currington
Good for him. Remember a number of years ago where 3 money mgrs from Mass or some persons in that line of work won over $100 mil?
Time for the lil guy to pick up his cheque. You go Pedro.
People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it.
George Bernard Shaw.
Congratulations on winning this Powerball Jackpot. I didn't know that the winning numbers ended up in a double number to be a jackpot winning ticket for the first time in 2013.
Thanks for sharing golfer, like ridge said he really needs to get out of dodge for his/family safety.
Hope nothing bad does happen to him, he needs to lay low for a while.
Casiano said he was making a sandwich at the family store when his dad called with the good news at 4:30 p.m. — and that he didn’t want to close the store and lose business until his friends convinced him to.
The work ethic and business savvy of this young man speaks volumes. Unlike Leroy Fick who won far less, his son did much to drive them back into poverty!
Good Point Dallas- l wonder if Ridge would mind if Pedro moved out of NJ and moved in next door to Ridge in dem Mountains? I can see a bromance in the works, can't you?
He has nothing to worry about. He'll blend in well with the other 2 million Pedro Quezadas.
Sounds like Appalachian delight.
.......Hey ..thanks for gettin back to us on that....most likely though it was a qp .....lemme know whe ya'all find out
Pedro got PAID.
LOL i'm sure ridge won't mind as long as he brings the whiskey
I'm guessing they're QPs.
I think I could make arrangements for Pedro.
Maybe he'd even like to discuss an endowment for the The South Ridge Bunker Complex Fund.
i'm your long lost cousin jeff. don't you remember? i need money. my wife was striken and needs ... 5 million should do.
Stand UP 4 PAY-DRO'$$$$$$$$ Press Conf. today!
Bru$h UP UR Spainish $$$$ Stand UP PAID-DRO!
The winning ticket was a Quick Pick, purchased together with a Jersey Cash 5 ticket. Quezada said he plays the lottery 2-3 times per week, sometimes choosing his own numbers and other times getting Quick Picks.
The cool thing about QP's is that your dealt the hand it gives you. When you pick your own #'s and maybe change just one number for another and the other numbers wins..you want to kick yourself- no one kicks the machine that gave you the QP's .No one says " machine error".
I watched the Today show today. and they said tommorow on today... so do i watch today tomorrow, or will they say tomrrow on today again on today tommorw too?
im confused
Well he wants for little, health and peace. And maybe a new pair of shoes. good luck finding them all.
They are indeed a good person thinking about their family as a priority. I hope they will get a financial adviser so their money will not be wasted.
i think it's all over now you might have messed it,
if he keeps talking he will most likely get robbed and if he starts giving to all his friends & family you can catch him back in the news next year on how he's broke
This guy's got an imperial(mustache). I wonder if he's a Frank Zappa fan.
Hope he pays the 29k in back child support first.
I suspect it will come right out of his check before it is released to him.