Two western Queens residents had a lot of extra cash to spend on Christmas presents this year after they won more than $1 million in prizes from the New York Lottery. Gene Futerman of Forest Hills and Florencio Guaman of Jackson Heights received their respective $3 million and $1 million prizes at Central Park’s Wollman Rink on Monday, December 14.
Futerman, 46, left the gym one morning in October and headed to the store for a cup of coffee and his daily Lottery tickets. Futerman, a self-employed taxi driver who immigrated to New York from his native Russia in 1990, scratched his tickets in the store and realized he was $3 million richer when he saw the word “Jackpot” printed on the third ticket.
“It’s a big relief, a big cushion,” said the father of two. “I believe in education. This will pay for my daughters’ education.”
Futerman will receive his $3 million prize in 20 annual payments of $150,000 each before taxes. His annual a net check will total $93,573.
When asked what his first purchase might be, Futerman said he planned to buy some presents, pay some bills and maybe take a cruise.
“I don’t think there will be any major [life] changes, any significant changes,” he said. “I like my job. I meet interesting people and I get to talk a lot. I have complete freedom.”
A second winner, Florencio Guaman, won $1 million on November 23 during a typical after-work stop at the K & L Dairy Farm store on 37th Avenue in Jackson Heights where he’s a regular.
“I scratched the ticket and showed it to my friend (the retailer) and we both started jumping around,” he said.
Guaman emigrated from his native Ecuador 15 years ago. His wife, Rosa, and six of the couple’s eight children still live in Ecuador. He plans to use his winnings to have a family reunion.
“I will bring my family to the United States,” said the 63-year-old superintendent for a company that specializes in removing construction debris. “I will have money to give my family a better life.”
