On Saturday, Jan. 18, 53-year-old Jerry Kajfasz went to the Depew One Stop on Broadway, his normal day-off haunt, where he bought some cigars and his favorite scratch-off New York Lottery tickets.
Nothing unusual there.
But the clerk mistakenly started to hand Kajfasz a $20 Win for Life Spectacular ticket. Kajfasz corrected the clerk, got the tickets he wanted and left the store.
That mistake set up a series of events that led Kajfasz, his wife, Anne, and their two children, Jackie and Frank, to win a guaranteed minimum of $10 million total, or $10,000 a week for life, from the New York Lottery.
The family of four, from Lancaster, was beaming Tuesday afternoon, as they held up an oversized $10 million ceremonial check.
On that lucky January day, Kajfasz walked out of the store and got in his truck.
"I kept winning on the scratch-off tickets," he recalled during a Tuesday afternoon news conference at the convenience store. "I won like seven in a row. I just got lucky, until I hit the big one."
With about $25 in hand and feeling lucky, Kajfasz figured what the heck. So he went back into the store, remembering that $20 Win for Life ticket, which he now calls "the one that almost got away."
He recalled telling the clerk, "Give me that ticket you almost gave me by accident."
Still in the store, Kajfasz scratched off the ticket, finding a 10 as one of the winning numbers on the top and a matching 10 among his numbers on the bottom. The payoff, though, came with the word "Life" printed just below his matching number.
"I just sat there and couldn't believe it," he said. "Shocked. I probably looked over the ticket half a dozen times."
The clerk validated the ticket, leaving Kajfasz a very rich man.
Call it the lucky — very lucky — $10 million mistake.
After having the ticket validated, Kajfasz called his wife with the news. Then he called his two children, in a more urgent tone than they usually hear from their normally laid-back father.
"He wouldn't tell me what happened," Frank Kajfasz said of his dad. "I said, 'Did you win the lottery?' "
"Well, I didn't want to tell you this way," his father replied. "Come over as soon as possible. I have some champagne."
The Kajfasz family had an option of how to collect its winnings. The parents are taking 86 percent, with each of the children getting 7 percent. So the parents will get 19 annual payments of around $450,000 before taxes, or almost $300,000 after taxes. But the ticket is in Frank's name, meaning that family members can keep collecting even after their father's lifetime.
Since striking it rich, Jerry Kajfasz already has retired from his printing job in Amherst.
Kajfasz plans to take care of his family, including keeping a promise to take his mother to visit family in her native Poland, lottery officials said.
Kajfasz becomes the 14th Erie County resident to win at least $10 million from the New York Lottery. The first 13 won their prizes between 1988 and 2005, according to lottery records.
But there hasn't been one in more than eight years.
"There's nothing systematic to suggest that kind of trend," said Carolyn Hapeman, a lottery spokeswoman. "It's just random luck."
The same could be said for Jerry Kajfasz.
"We've always had a joke that he had a horseshoe...," his daughter, Jackie, said, pausing as she realized her words were being recorded, "somewhere on his body."
(Click to display full-size in gallery)
Thanks to tony869 for the tip.
Congrats to the Kajfasz family! I always take mistake tickets
When it's your turn to win, nothing can stop it. Congrats lucky guy.
Major WTG !
COOLLLLLL!!!! Good thing he went back in and picked up that "mistake". It may not always come when you want it to....but it "always on time!" when it does. I just hit for 1,000.00 in bingo on Monday so hopefully my next hit will be the big one! Congrats! Good luck everyone and remember you have to be "in it to win it!" Quitters never win and winners never quit......unless it's smoking!
Congratulations Jerry Kajfasz!
I am waiting for the lottery machine to make a mistake and print out the winning ticket for me LOL
Awesome story. Congratulations to him and his family.
This article is a little confusing. It mentions the winner getting either a guaranteed $10 million or $10k per week for life but later on states that
he gets 19 more payments and his family keeps collecting after his lifetime.
Is this prize capped at 20 years or was it just a typo when it mentioned the 19 payments?
Like this "mistake" story. Was in line yesterday and customer was upset because the clerk made mistake on his pick 3 selections. Was tempted to tell him it could be lucky bet, but better thought to keep my big mouth shut!
Hope he gave the clerk a big tip
That's the same store where I buy my gas and tickets. I hope the good luck continues! The people there are very nice by the way!
"the ticket is in Frank's name"
That's the son. The minimum 20 payments will be made regardless of who does or doesn't die. Assuming the son, who's probably about 30, lives, the payments will continue until he does die.
Seems awfully generous of the lottery when it's seems very clear that it's the father who is the winner.
Great story, Congrats to the lucky guy,
He could have said he bought the ticket for his son or daughter. People buy scratch of tickets as gifts all the time. Anyone can claim it if the winner is okay with it. But then that person has no control when it's in someone else name. But since that was his son he probably figured that was the best.
Wow I never thought about that if I had ever won a win for life, to have a younger kin collect. That way any old person or someone who is terminally ill can have a younger kin collect for years to come. Makes a whole lot of sense. Lotteries be wiping us out. Its time we do it to them lol.
This story inspired me
I bought 5, $2.00 scratch offs to start and lost, oh well I am done lol.
But I like reading stories like this, good for him and his family.
Right place at the right time!
Going off the title of this story- this is a Wonderful mistake!
Congratulations to the Winner. This is cause for celebration.
Wow odd decision. Frank's sister, Jackie [who looks older than 18 years old], lost out big! She'll now probably have unchangeable hurt feelings towards her parents, Frank, and possibly Frank's family.
Regardless, it's an exciting BIG win that hasn't seen in NY in many years!
He's telling a story that any lottery commission would love. Just. One. More. Ticket. Yea, that extra ticket will be the winner...just keep spending more.
I feel bad for the next person who bought the next ticket in the roll after he went back in. But thankfully that person probably has no clue how close they were to it. Better off that way.
Good luck comes on time?!
Probably not. From the article:
"The Kajfasz family had an option of how to collect its winnings. The parents are taking 86 percent, with each of the children getting 7 percent. So the parents will get 19 annual payments of around $450,000 before taxes, or almost $300,000 after taxes. But the ticket is in Frank's name, meaning that family members can keep collecting even after their father's lifetime."
So it seems like Jackie's getting a cut of the winnings along with the parents.
Hooray for the Kajfasz family!
and thats about how lucky you have to be
<div_prefs id="div_prefs">
Congratulation to the winner
Just reread the percentages cut, mediabrat, and most will "probably" come to my earlier written conclusion.
lucky men . good choice to take the mistake tickets .. i always do the same hope to nail one like this one too ...
wooooooooooooohoooooooooooooooo!!!! excellent story and congrats Mr Kajfasz!!! Enjoy your blessing to you and your family!!
I did. Your assertion that Jackie "lost out big" is patently false. She's getting the same amount as her brother, so she should have no reason to be upset with him. As for her parents, if she begrudges them coming away with the lion's share of the money, that's her problem.
There is no reason to believe that this was not a decision reached and agreed to by the entire family. If they wanted to shut her out, they would have.
I do find it odd, however, that they chose to publicize the exact breakdown of how the family would be sharing the winnings.
Well that's a nice mistake!!!! Congratulations to the winner.