A Queens woman won big time after buying a scratch-off ticket from a Middle Village drug store.
Ruth Tritremmel, a retired bookkeeper, was running her morning errands when she purchased a $5,000,000 Bankroll scratch-off ticket. While she was at Artis Drugs on Eliot Avenue near 80th Street, she saw a woman scratching off that same ticket.
“I walked up to the clerk and asked her for one of those tickets,” Tritremmel said. “She told me it was number 28 and I knew it would be good because my daughter’s birthday is the 28th.”
After scratching off the ticket, Tritremmel was unclear of how much she won. Thinking she won $5,000, Tritremmel headed to the Lottery offices in Plainview, but little did she know the windfall awaiting her.
“I was told I would have to wait to receive my money because it was over $500,000,” said Tritremmel. “I didn’t understand because I was expecting $5,000. That’s when the clerk told me I won the $5,000,000 jackpot. I almost fainted!”
The jackpot on the $5,000,000 Bankroll ticket is paid as a one-time lump sum payment. Tritremmel will receive a net check totaling $3,115,200 after taxes and other withholdings.
“It really feels great to win the lottery,” said Tritremmel. “I plan to use the winnings to help out my family and maybe buy a condo in Florida.”
