SCHENECTADY, NY (01/29/2009)(readMedia)-- 2009 is off to a lucky start for a number of New York Lottery players from Staten Island, Manhattan, Queens, and Long Island. The new millionaires won their prizes ranging in value from $1,000,000 to $22,000,000 on a variety of different Lottery scratch off games and televised jackpot drawings. Their stories follow here in chronological order from the earliest claim date to the most recent.

Laid Off Manhattan Construction Worker Wins $2,000 A Week For Life Top Prize

Born in the Dominican Republic, Joselito "Cheppe" Dilone has lived in Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood for the past 17 years. Until recently, the step-father of two was employed as a construction laborer for KG Property Associates of Manhattan. It was a job he held for 16 years before the company went out of business earlier this year.

Dilone said he owes his luck to a "change of heart." A loyal Win 4 player, Dilone said he walked into the Nathanael Beauty Supply on Broadway in Manhattan and asked for a Win $2,000 A Week For Life instant ticket instead. "I won $5 right away and handed it right back to the clerk for another (of the same) ticket," he said. "I scratched the second one and almost cried. This is the biggest thing to happen to me in my life."

Dilone purchased his ticket on December 23, 2008 and claimed it at the Lottery's Customer Service Center in Manhattan on December 26, 2008. Winners of the Win $2,000 A Week For Life instant ticket are guaranteed to receive a minimum payout of $2,000,000 to be paid quarterly. Dilone's initial quarterly payment will total $40,000 netting him $25,801 after taxes. His subsequent quarterly payments will total $26,000 or $16,771 after taxes.

Retired Firefighter, Retired Teacher From Port Jefferson Share $1,000,000 Prize On Extravaganza Game

A leisurely stroll to the neighborhood newsstand for a Sunday paper and Lottery ticket turned into a near heart-stopping adventure as 70-year-old Vincent Droscoski of Port Jefferson, Suffolk County, scratched his ticket to reveal a $1,000,000 scratch off prize on his $500,000,000 Extravaganza instant ticket. The 20-year veteran of the Brookhaven Labs Fire Department in Upton said it took a while for the shock to wear off, but now he's "looking forward to life on Easy Street."

The father of two and grandfather of three said superstition played a part in his decision to buy what turned out to be his lucky Lottery ticket. "I'm usually a Take 5 player," he said. "But, I looked at all the tickets on sale and settled on this one because my palm started itching when I saw it. I knew it was a money ticket! Sounds crazy, but here I am!"

Droscoski purchased his winning ticket on December 28, 2008 at Cliff's Newsstand on Main Street in Port Jefferson. He opted to split the $1,000,000 top prize with his wife of 45 years, Linda, a retired Port Jefferson Elementary School Teacher. The couple claimed the ticket together on December 29, 2008 at the Lottery's Customer Service Center in Garden City.

The $1,000,000 prize on the $500,000,000 Extravaganza ticket pays out as $50,000 a year for 20 years. As a result of splitting the ticket 50/50 Vincent and Linda Droscoski will each receive $25,000 a year before taxes, netting each a total of $17,037 annually through 2029.

Shock of Electrical Contractor Dad's $1,000,000 Peng Win Prize Sends Daughter Into Labor

Fifty-one-year-old Rafael Portela of Manhattan answered a cell phone call from his daughter as he entered the Lottery's Customer Service Center in Manhattan to claim $1,000,000 prize he won the day before on the Peng Win instant game. His daughter informed him she was in the labor room at Metropolitan Hospital, preparing to give birth to her first child; Portela's first grandson. Both agreed he should continue with his plan to claim his prize as there was no telling how long her labor would last.

"My daughter was with me when I scratched the ticket," said the father of five. "She got very excited, too excited maybe. But all turned out well, I have a beautiful grandson and my daughter has a little something extra to help care for him."

Portela, a native of Puerto Rico, said he purchased the Peng Win ticket on December 30, 2008 at the J.J. Food Market on East 99^th St. in Manhattan. He claimed it on December 31, 2008 at the Lottery's Customer Service Center in Manhattan. The Peng Win instant ticket pays our $50,000 a year for 20 years. Portela's annual net check will total $32,251.

The retired electrical contractor plans to use his winnings to help his growing family and take care of his beloved cats, Kapul and Mule.

Queens Auto Shop Owner Rings in New Year With $1,000,000 Money Maker Ticket

Forty-eight-year-old Asm Haq of Jamaica, Queens wanted to ring in 2009 with a bang. The Bangladesh-born auto repair shop owner said while out celebrating with friends, he got the idea to purchase a few Lottery tickets to test his luck heading into the New Year.

"I bought (scratch off) tickets to gauge what kind of luck I would have in the coming year," said the father of two. "If I won something, I knew it would be a very good year. I'd say it's off to a great start!"

Haq purchased his Money Maker instant ticket on January 1, 2009 at the Wexford Newsstand on Hillside Ave. in Jamaica, Queens. He claimed his $1,000,000 winner at the Lottery's Customer Service Center in Garden City on January 2, 2009. Haq and his wife, Rowshan, plan to use their $1,000,000 prize to finance their children's education and "give back to the community that has been so good to us."

Haq will receive his $1,000,000 prize in payments of $50,000 a year for 20 years. His annual net check will total $32,251.

Commack Dad Runs To Deli For Home Fries, Returns With $1,000,000 in "Bacon"

A special New Year's Day breakfast turned extraordinary in an instant when the Pagnotta family of Commack, NY started cleaning the table and remembered to scratch the Win $1,000 A Week For Life Instant tickets they purchased earlier that morning at the local deli.

"I ran out for home fries for my daughter and splurged on a couple of tickets for fun," said Terence Pagnotta, 43. "We had a lot of fun after we scratched off the $1,000,000 winner."

Pagnotta, a Foreman for Local 46 Metallic Lathers Union and Reinforcing Ironworkers, purchased the family's lucky ticket on January 1, 2009 at Anderson's Deli on Indian Head Rd. in Kings Park and gave it to his wife, Nicole, to claim the next day at the Lottery's Customer Service Center in Garden City.

The couple plans to use the $1,000,000 prize to save for college for their two children. "Any other plans will have to wait for the shock to wear off." said Nicole Pagnotta, a part-time X-Ray Technician.

Winners of the Win $1,000 A Week For Life Instant Game are guaranteed to receive a minimum prize payout of $1,000,00 to be paid quarterly. Nicole Pagnotta will receive an initial payment totaling $19,000 before required tax withholdings or $12,948 net. Her subsequent quarterly payments will total $13,000 before taxes ($8,859 net).

Staten Island Family Pools Its Money, Wins Half of $7,000,000 Lotto Jackpot Drawn on 12/27/08

For as long as he can remember, Gaetano Puglia, 73, and his extended family have been meeting at "Mama's" Staten Island home on Sunday afternoons for a big dinner and a little Lottery talk.

"We all throw in a couple of bucks each week to buy some tickets and talk about our luck from the previous week," said Puglia, a retired longshoreman who purchased the group's winning Lotto ticket worth $3,500,000. "How much we spend and what tickets we buy differs from week to week. Lucky for us, we picked the right game this time."

Puglia purchased the family's Quick Pick Lotto ticket the week of December 22, 2008 at the Superior Crescent Deli on Crescent St. in Long Island City. Speaking on behalf of the family, Puglia said he and the other members of his extended family were looking forward to "starting their own economic stimulus plan; paying down bills and saving for a long retirement."

The other members of Puglia's extended family who will share the $3,500,000 Lotto prize are:

• Mary "Mama" Somma, 87, a retired homemaker from Staten Island
• Patricia Parker, 65, a retired secretary for the New York City Department of Education
• Marie Musarella, 62, a retired beauty company sales rep
• John Musarella, 68, a retired longshoreman, and
• Michael Barbato, 55, a publishing company art director

Puglia and his family chose to receive their half of the jackpot as a lump sum totaling $2,358,702. Each family member will receive a one-time payment of $393,117, less required tax withholdings. Their net checks will total $253,568.

Copiague Retiree, House Cleaner Wife Win Second Half of $7,000,000 Lotto Jackpot Drawn on 12/27/08

Henryk Matusik and his family emigrated from Poland to their new home in Copiague, Suffolk County, in 2005. Since then, the recently retired construction worker said his luck has run the gamut from good to outstanding.

"I won the Lottery. This is outstanding news!" said the father of four who checked the New York Lottery Website on 12/28/08 to find the numbers on his ticket for the 12/27/08 Lotto Drawing matched the numbers drawn, making him a millionaire overnight.

"I was in shock," said the 55-year-old Matusik. "I needed some time to get accustomed to this idea. I do not feel like a millionaire, how does that feel?"

Matusik purchased his winning Lotto ticket on December 26, 2008 at the One Stop Grocery on North Strong Ave in Copiague. He claimed his $3,500,000 winner on January 5, 2009 at the Lottery's Customer Service Center in Garden City.

He and his wife, Irene, a self-employed house cleaner, plan to live out their dream of travelling around the United States in their new car.

Matusik opted to receive his prize as a lump sum. He will receive a one-time payment of $2,358,702, less required tax withholdings. His net check will total $1,489,520.

Craving For "Big Gulp" Turns Into $22,000,000 Mega Win For Nassau County Caretaker

Fifty-two-year-old Janet Alnwick of Merrick, Nassau County, was thinking big when she walked into the 7-Eleven on Newbridge Rd. in North Bellmore looking for a "Big Gulp" and a Mega Millions Lottery ticket.

The retired saleswoman turned full-time caretaker said she's not a regular Lottery player so no one was more surprised than she to learn she was the only player across 12 participating Mega Millions Lottery jurisdictions to match all six numbers needed to win the January 13, 2009 Mega Millions drawing for $22,000,000.

"I play maybe once a month, $2 or $3 at most," I am probably an unlikely winner, but a thankful one nonetheless," said Alnwick.

Alnwick said she welcomes the opportunity to purchase "a few more nice things" for herself. Those "things" include more frequent vacations to sunny spots like Aruba and her beloved Sanibel Island and a new Corvette Convertible; "Gray and fully loaded."

Alnwick purchased her winning Mega Millions Quick Pick ticket on January 13, 2009 at the 7-Eleven on Newbridge Rd. in North Bellmore. She claimed it the following day at the Lottery's Customer Service Center in Garden City.

She chose the lump sum option and will receive a one-time payment of $15,182,885, before taxes. Her net check will total $10,347,136.

The New York Lottery contributed nearly $2.6 billion in fiscal year 2007-08 to help support education in New York State, over 13% of total state education funding to local school districts. The New York Lottery continues to be North America's largest and most profitable Lottery, earning over $34.2 billion in education support statewide since its founding over 40 years ago.

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Posted Thursday January 29, 2009 at 11:31 am by New York Lottery