Yolanda Vega Welcomes Long Island's Newest Lottery Millionaires

CENTRAL ISLIP, NY (04/14/2010)(readMedia)-- Yolanda Vega today awarded $4,000,000 in prizes to Suffolk County's newest Lottery millionaires. The winners - a pair of brothers splitting a $3,000,000 Fat Wallet windfall and a mother of one who won the top prize on the popular Win $1,000 a Week for Life - represent Central Islip, Bayshore and Babylon, Long Island, respectively.

Brothers from Central Islip and Bayshore split $3,000,000 Fat Wallet prize

Thirty-seven-year-old Jose Melgar of Central Islip stopped at the store after his night shift to buy some soup and coffee. While there he decided to try his luck on the Lottery's new Fat Wallet instant ticket. The spur of the moment purchase paid off handsomely. Melgar won the top prize earning him a $3,000,000 pay day.

"I saw the ticket in the store and noticed there were a lot of chances to win on it," said the maintenance repairman for SJS Construction through an interpreter. "Never in my wildest dreams did I think the prize I would win would be $3,000,000." Melgar purchased the jackpot winning ticket at the 7-Eleven on Carlton Avenue in Central Islip on March 14th.

Melgar and his younger brother Miguel, 34, of Bayshore, Suffolk County, have lived in New York for twenty years. The elder brother knew exactly how he would share his winnings. "When I scratched the ticket and realized I had won, Miguel was the first person I called. We are very close, so as far as I'm concerned a win for me is a win for him. We will split this prize 50-50," he said.

The brothers claimed their ticket at the Lottery's offices in Garden City the next day. As with most instant games, the top prize on the Fat Wallet instant ticket is paid as a 20 year annuity. The annual payout on the Fat Wallet ticket is $150,000 a year; giving each brother an annual payment of $75,000 before taxes. The brothers will each net $49,522 a year through 2029.

When asked about their plans for their winnings both brothers agreed, "We have always said one day we would open our own business. With this money we can finally make that dream come true."

Holiday tradition pays off for Win $1,000 a Week for Life winner from Babylon

Christine Weber started a holiday tradition with her mother years ago. They exchange Lottery tickets for fun at holiday time and this past Easter, the tradition continued but with a much different outcome than in years past. This year, Weber received a Win $1,000 a Week for Life ticket in an Easter card from her mother and hit a minimum $1,000,000 jackpot.

"The tradition (of buying Lottery tickets as gifts for the holidays) started a few years ago," said the 39-year-old mother of one. "We won some smaller prizes over the years but nothing like this!" Weber's mother, Peggy, purchased the lucky ticket at the Gardiner Manor Wine & Liquor store on Sunrise Highway in Bayshore. "Mom gave me my card on Easter morning and of course there was a ticket in there. I was busy getting my daughter ready so my mom scratched the ticket for me. She saw the three 'lifes' and told me to drop everything. When we realized we won there was a lot of screaming and hugging. It is definitely an Easter we will never forget," she said.

Christine Weber claimed the ticket at the Lottery's Customer Service Center in Garden City on April 6th. She will receive a minimum of 19 annual payments of $52,000 each (net $32,439) and a 20th payment of $12,000 (net $7,486) to realize the guaranteed minimum payout of $1,000,000. Once she has received the guaranteed $1,000,000, Weber will continue to receive an annual net check totaling $32,439 for life.

Weber is still a little shocked by her good fortune and isn't quite sure how she will spend her windfall. "To be honest, this is still sinking in."

Weber is the fourth Suffolk County Lottery player this year to claim a jackpot prize of $1,000,000 or more. Others to claim this year include Richard and Mary Morrison of Miller Place who won $165,000,000 on Mega Millions in January, Kristi Spillett of Yaphank who won $1,000,000 on Harley Davidson in March; and Miguel and Jose Melgar of Bay Shore and Central Islip who won $3,000,000 on Fat Wallet in March.

The New York Lottery continues to be North America's largest and most profitable Lottery, earning more than $36.7 billion in education support statewide since its founding over 40 years ago. The Lottery contributed nearly $2.54 billion in fiscal year 2008-09 to help support education in New York State, which was over 12 percent of total state education funding to local school districts.

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