Retired New York City police officer William Messam had a million reasons to smile after he scratched off a $1 million prize on the instant game Emerald 8.
Messam, 55, went into the 7-Eleven on Astoria Boulevard in East Elmhurst on July 8 and bought six scratch-off tickets along with his nightly coffee.
“I asked the retailer, ‘You seeing the same thing I do?’ It couldn’t be real,” Messam said.
Messam received his winning check on Tuesday, July 28, and he will receive payments of $50,000 – $31,191 after taxes – for the next 20 years.
“I’m pretty low-key. I just plan on taking care of my parents,” said Messam, who did say he planned to take a little vacation to Mexico to celebrate his winnings.
