SYOSSET, N.Y. — A man who had losing lottery tickets due to a store clerk's error stood accused this weekend of threatening the clerk with a box cutter on Long Island.
The clerk did not want to talk about what happened around 7 p.m. Friday at the Food Express, at 391 Jericho Turnpike in Syosset.
But police said regular customer Michael Sullo, 43, of Syosset, took out some losing lottery tickets and demanded to be reimbursed.
Sullo plays the same numbers every day, and that day, his numbers had won $250, Suffolk County police said. But the clerk had mistakenly entered the wrong number in the computer, police said.
The clerk offered to pay half, and left the store and drove out of the parking lot, police said.
Sullo allegedly was not satisfied with the offer, and police said he followed the clerk in his own car and prompted the clerk to pull over. He then pulled out a box cutter and robbed the clerk, demanding full payment, police alleged.
The clerk complied, and sent Sullo back to the store to get his money, police said. Sullo returned to the store and collected the $250, and drove away, police said.
About 25 minutes later, police caught up to Sullo and Edwards and Florence avenues in Syosset, where he was arrested, police said.
Sullo was charged with robbery and criminal possession of a weapon. He was set to be arraigned later Saturday morning.
Fill out your slip, and check your numbers before you leave the store.
This is a very sad story . I cannot say how many times the clerk has entered my tickets the wrong way in stores I play regularly , however it's my OWN fault for not checking my receipt and making sure they are all typed in correctly . No one is perfect ! It's unfortunate but I am more than sure it's happen to many if us. I learned to not play at a store that is crazy busy so I can go back if there is a mistake or not play too close to draw time when the store is even more crazy.
I agree too close to cut off time and your not able to check the tickets has gotten me. Then when others are calling out numbers the clerks get confused. In this case if it's numbers he played daily the slip should have been filled out even if the clerk input the wrong number he wasn't entitled to anything that may have been a day he changed a digit where's the proof?
I don't see how it was the clerks fault if the customer handed him a play slip already filled out with his own picks. I would have thought it was a computer error.
I have on occasions filled out a play slip for a friend of mine who lives in Hawaii (no lottery there) and I have never verified the numbers. I simply paperclip the ticket to the play slip and leave it in the drawer.
If you're playing the same numbers every day, instead of relying on the clerk's fat fingers every day, fill out a playslip and keep using it. I sometimes use the same folded up playslip for months until it gets too crinkly and dog eared to use.
And it saves time at checkout. I hate getting beind someone who plays a bunch of numbers by verbally talking it out with the clerk. Especially Keno...really irritating: "uhhh, gimme a 5 spot with uh 40, 50, 4, 7, and uh, 3... clerk: did you say 3 or 2? uh 3...and give me another 7 spot with uh 71, 60, 45, 10, 1, and uh ...lets see, uh 3...clerk: I need one more number, give me another number..."
Michael Sullo is going to spend some time wondering why he didn't have the patience to fill out the slips or reacting in the normal way of cussing out loud when he realized the store clerk had made an expensive mistake.
Them clerks shoulda knowed better than to mess with THRIFTY's money.
THRIFTY don't play dat.
I sure I am not the only one, but it truly irks me when players verbally give pick 3 and pick 4 numbers to the clerk to input into the machine. It is one thing to ask for a quick pick since use of a play slip is not only a waste of paper but that transaction is quite quick. But I have witnessed a lottery player occupy up to 2 minutes of a clerk's time calling out those numbers and plays while the line grew longer and longer. If the guy would have filled out the play slip, this would not even be a story. It would have been his fault entirely. I applaud those stores that post signs that verbal plays will not be taken when line has formed, and if I ran a store, I would go a step further and state no verbal number picks will be taken...please use available playslips to enter your plays. However, quickpicks can be asked for all games...I just don't know of too many pick 3 and pick 4 players that play QPs...they seem to have their special numbers they like to play. If you are a pick 3 or pick 4 player, I am not "picking" on you. I am just expressing my observation of things that take place in the hood or in stores that cater to avid lottery players (a.k.a. lucky stores).
" Don't get attached to things"- Mickey Rourke. ( Iron Man 2)
Indeed
Avoid this problem entirely. Fill out your playslip. That way if there is a mistake, you have no one to blame but yourself.
He looks like the kind of human waste that would try and play at the same store again. Read his bail was 40/20k.
A man who had losing lottery tickets due to a store clerk's error stood accused this weekend of threatening the clerk with a box cutter on Long Island.
I swear it wasnt me!!!!.
Funny thing is that when I used to work out in woodbury, I used to go there and buy my tickets all the time.
The clerk there started to piss me off after a while, so I had to find a new place.
There is a cute little gift shop across of Route 25 in the little shopping center that had a lotto machine, and nice little stools to sit on. However I used to work late so I often had to go to the Food Express as my lunch was late, and they were not open late. Then they opened the 7 eleven. The stop and shop was also good. I probably should have just bought my lunch and tickets there.
But often times to avoid that jinx hole of a store the "Food Express" , I found myself driving WAY DOWN jericho to a gas station.
I often got back to work late.
I say the man is not guilty! Have them pay up! He was only fighting for money to feed his family!
I have one solution to this statewide crappy clerk epidemic.
INTERNET Online Lottery
And I know the standard answer of he should have just filled out a playslip.
Well the stores dont always stock them well or make them available. They are often sitting in boxes on a shelf covered in an 1/2 inch of dust.
I even have asked the clerks, do you have any playslips?
And OFTEN they will say "no we dont have any."
Lazy clerks.
And I wouldn't be surprised if "some" of these clerks punched in the wrong numbers ON PURPOSE sometimes.
They might be thinking "here comes that fat american lotto junkie, when he gives me his straight I am going to switch it up on him"
"I will get him good! I just hope he doesn't come back with a box cutter."
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LB you have me LOL right now at work, you are a fool lmao.
I agree with the online lottery - but a playslip and extra time helps too.
Or do like me play your pet numbers in advance, the most we get in store is 7 days
I lost $$ too with the clerks not playing my number correct near the cut- off time, but a box cutter?? Never thought of that - baseball bat maybe - but it's difficult to play the lotto behind bars..
Why or why did this have to take place here in NY??
It was not me either, lol...
The box cutter guy should thank God that he did not get his a$$ lit up. What a fool. Now he has to spend more than $250.00 to get out of this mess.
When I use to travel to Michigan to buy BigGame tickets before MM came to Ohio, I brought my ticket at a truck stop that had a sign stating customers had to either buy quick picks or make out play slips. I always thought it was because of the crowd they got for the large jackpots but maybe it was to avoid such incidents with pissed off customers.
I'm a system player so I always make out play slips, I take full responsibility for the numbers I play.
Maybe he should play his inmate jail id number when he gets out
Lottery slips ...$10.00, Beer and chips $5.00...threatening the young clerk who messed up your lottery tickets going to jail and ruining your life...priceless.
What a dumba$$.
Always check your tickets before you leave, poor clerk.
Been there done that,but never used a box cutter,lol.Just chalked it up as technical difficulties .
The guy actually won more than $250 ,...he gotta nice stay in a secure resort called the Dumbass Inn.
You would think an experienced player who played the same numbers all the time would have had a play slip made out and readily noticed any mistake made on his tickets before leaving the store.
I agree, the store near me has a sign requesting that all lottery number request unless random QP's be made out via play slip. I had thought that perhaps the gentleman who played his set of numbers on a regular basis had indeed filled out a play slip.
I always see people with their plastic play slip protectors and they seem to be so serious and protective about their picks.
it doesn't happen to me that often but a couple of months ago when the old matrix was still in force, a clerk incorrectly entered my Mega Ball as 41 instead of 42 which had clearly been shaded on the play slip. I thought of requesting the clerk for either a refund of my dollar to replay the ticket. Luckily, I had another dollar and played the correct combination of my choice. I kept the erroneous ticket in the hope that a guardian angel may have been behind this mistake, for how many times have we heard of the wrong numbers chosen in a game either winning lotto jackpots or lots of money in a lotto game? On reflection if I had played 41 as the golden number the following week, I would have at least won $2 as the price reward of one golden match was then!!!
now that really sucks for him .. .from beginners to pro players . all should check their tickets before leaving the store .
wondering what he would do if the mistake ticket was a winner .. would he share the winnings with the clerk . hell na
hey Rex ..
could it be "luckyblady"
Dang. I regret doing that. I needed to pay off my subscription of dairy milk.
Watch when I see that clerk in the streets. I'm gonna use a taser
Can't believe lottery post embarrassing me making a huge story outa this. Wow.
HAPPY WEDNESDAY EVERYONE 10/30/2013
I always enjoy reading all the "threads and posts" because I learn something new all the time.
Jon D...I didn't know for example, that we can use the same "Play Slip" over and over again. I thought that after the Clerk had run it thru the lottery machine, creating your lottery ticket, that U couldn't use that "Play Slip" again and had to create a new one each time U wanted to play those numbers. Therefore, while I saved the actual ticket I would throw away the "Play Slip" and fill out a new one each time I wanted to play my numbers.
Well, Now I know better.
HAPPY WEDNESAY 10/30/2013
SURI
Agree with your post. If the mistake had made a winner of the ticket I wonder if the Clerk would have been given a "sweet reward" for the error...$$$$$$$$$
This is disgusting. Yes the clerk made mistake, however he also has a part of that mistake because he didn't check the ticket when he left the store. It is really unjust for him to threaten the clerk just because of that mistake. His winning numbers cost $250, if his numbers worth $1million I think he might have killed the clerk. It is also a lesson to clerks to be extremely accurate with the numbers they are entering.