An electrician from Astoria and a special education teaching assistant from Bayside were among five people who split $7 million in scratch-off Lotto prizes recently.
Joseph Arcos and Cora Gibney-Montes got their really big checks on Monday, March 15 from Lottery drawing emcee (and Irish dancer) Gretchen Dizer, at a special pre-St. Patrick’s Day celebration held at the Blarney Stone on 8th Avenue in Chelsea.
Arcos, 44, bought his lucky “Win $1,000 A Week For Life” ticket on February 15 at Astoria Liquors on 37th Street – near Woodtree Playground on 20th Avenue in Steinway, where he plays basketball with friends.
The single father and Local 3 electrician said he buys $5 worth of Lotto tickets a week at the store. “They know me there,” he said. “I’m a regular.”
Arcos waited until February 24 to claim his $1 million prize. “I just didn’t get around to it,” he said “Plus, it took a while to sink in. I really didn’t believe it at first.”
Back in early January, Gibney-Montes, 43, was joking with her husband, Roland when she asked him to “go out and win the Lottery today.”
Montes, 45, went to the Bell Grocery & Deli on Bell Boulevard near 35th Avenue and obliged – he bought the $2 “Win $1,000 A Week For Life” ticket that turned out to be a winner.
The mechanic, who works the overnight shift for the city’s Department of Transportation, didn’t scratch the ticket until the following morning, before going to sleep. “I called (Cora) at her work and screamed as loud as I could – We won the Lottery!”
Montez said he gave the million-dollar ticket to his wife to claim because it was her idea to play the Lottery that day. “The whole thing is surreal,” she said. “It’s like getting a new lease on life.” He agreed, saying “It’s a breath of fresh air. We don’t have to worry about college for the kids.”
The prizes have a guaranteed minimum $1 million payout – 19 annual payments of $52,000 ($32,439 after taxes) each and a 20th payment of $12,000 (net $7,486). After that, Arcos and Gibney-Montes will each get annual net checks totaling $32,439 for life.
Arcos had been a faithful purchaser of this particular game. “I always buy this ticket,” he said. “It’s like a little extra icing on the cake – for life!”
