One hundred forty-two people (not 100 as previously noted) had lottery tickets that were one number away from the winning combination. So a little crying over Lady Luck is to be expected, right? more ›

So no one in NY State bought a Mega Millions ticket with the winning numbers. However, 17 of the 100 second-place winners were here. And those second place tickets are worth $250,000!!! Check out the list below. more ›

The jerk who bought a winning Lottery ticket for a group of fellow Portuguese immigrant co-workers and then kept the money for himself has had his day in court and lost. Now Americo Lopes is going to have to split his $38.5 million Mega Millions win with the former colleagues who pitched in on the ticket. more ›

Back in November 2009, Americo Lopes, a New Jersey construction worker, won $38.5 million from a Mega Millions lotto ticket. He quit his job soon after, but conveniently forgot to tell his fellow Portuguese immigrant co-workers why—could it be the bi-weekly lottery pool they had all participated in since 2007? more ›

The elusive winner of the huge $208 MegaMillions have been confirmed by the NY State Lottery, but the winner's identity is still a mystery. Newsday reports that the winner "has come forward with the ticket purchased at King Kullen, said a spokesman for the supermarket chain." more ›

The $206 million Mega Millions number was announced last night—and it turns out that a winning ticket was sold at a Long Island King Kullen supermarket. And what's more, it was bought last night, before the 11 p.m. drawing! Frank Vassalo, who manages the King Kullen in Middle Island, told 1010 WINS, "All we know so far is that it was purchased last night at the store it could possibly even be an employee which would be exciting." more ›

What is it with all this lotto modesty? Most of those 20 Costco employees on Long Island who won a $201 million jackpot say that they're sticking with their careers. Now a visit to the "Albany Seven" who split a $319 million jackpot reveals that none of them have engaged in the sort of risk-seeking, insane behavior that most Americans are just a a ticket away from displaying? One winner is barely "in the process of getting a dishwasher." How are they doing without crocodile-skin Bentleys? Where are the winner-take-all craps games on drug smugglers' yachts in international waters? more ›

It's the oldest excuse in the book. You happen to break a bill and oh, why not: lotto ticket, please! We've been guilty of it, but the sheer odds usually keep us at bay. Not so for a 69-year-old retired bus driver from Staten Island who just won $72 million after he was forced to break his bill at a counter, rather than a ticketing machine. "I only wanted $5, but in the machine, I couldn't get change back" he tells the Post. "We can't comprehend the value of this amount of money. We were never hungry. But we always just made it." Beat THAT, Nicholas Cage. more ›

Meet state worker Michael Kosko (not the winner pictured here). As you can see from this photo in the NY Post, Mike's a Yankees fan. But after losing out on a $319 million lotto jackpot because he didn't have the $2 to join the office pool, he should probably retire that cap and come on over to the Mets. (As Hunter S. Thompson once said of Las Vegas: "Learn to enjoy losing!") Yesterday Kosko, who works in the IT department of the Homes and Community Renewal agency in Albany, talked to the press about losing the lottery. And by golly, he's determined not to let it ruin his life! more ›

The NY State Lottery office confirmed that the winning ticket for the $319 million Mega Millions jackpot—which was sold in Albany—was claimed earlier this week. Lottery spokeswoman Carolyn Hapeman said, "Late in the day [on Monday], we got a call saying, 'Can we come in?' As expected, they were busy meeting with the people they wanted to meet with before they came in here." People being lawyers and financial consultants. It's believed the winners were seven state employees, which means each one would get over $19 million (after taxes). more ›

Winning $319 million is life-changing—even if you have to split it seven ways. So we're guessing that the winners of Friday's $319 million Mega Millions jackpot, who are rumored to be NY State workers, are trying to get things in order and consulting with lawyers and financial planners (like other big winners) before identifying themselves to the state lottery offices. Lottery spokeswoman Carolyn Hapeman told the Post, "Ninety-nine percent of the people coming in winners do it that way these days. Three-hundred and nineteen million is an unimaginable amount of money. Most want a plan before the money enters their hands." more ›

So that winning ticket for the $319 million Mega Millions that was sold in Albany? As it turns out, the winners seem to be a group NY State employees—the Post reports, "The winning ticket was one of several bought by members of an office pool at a convenience store less than a block from their workplace... Other sources said the winners work for the state Division of Housing and Community Renewal." more ›

There was a winning ticket for the now $319 million Mega Millions lottery jackpot—and it was sold at a convenience store in Albany! The AP reports, "New York Lottery spokeswoman Carolyn Hapeman says the winning jackpot ticket for Friday's drawing was sold at Coulson's News Center, located just a few blocks from the state Capitol." more ›

Yesterday's $355 million Mega Millions jackpot fostered many dreams, most of which are dead today. Psychics and spiritualists believed that the winner would be a woman (probably a Gemini) from New York... but the two lucky ticket holders are out-of-towners, from Idaho and Washington to be exact. According to CNN, their odds were one in 176 million! And the psychics weren't totally wrong, there were eleven $250,000 Mega Millions Winners from New York. more ›

Will it happen to you? Tonight's mega Mega Millions lottery has a pot of $330 million, and a Bronx spiritualist has predicted a woman from New York will win! The prediction comes from Chris Ochun, who also noted that the woman (probably a Gemini) will have to split the money with "someone from out of state." According to the NY Post, he used snail shells to find out that some lucky numbers are "5, 6, 52, 55, 44 and 27"—though those aren't necessarily the winning numbers. We are not snail shell experts, but maybe this means ladies should pick up their tickets at a bodega on one of these streets? more ›

The Brooklyn mom who went from rags to riches by winning a recent $54MM Mega Millions jackpot has picked up her big check. The Rikers corrections officer has been bankrupt and homeless, but now 34-year-old Garina Fearon has got herself $22,723,873 after taxes. She told the NY Post, "All my life, all I ever wanted was a home for me and my family and a car. I already had both even before I won this money. Now I can focus on my work and my family. That’s what’s important to me now." more ›

A 34-year-old Rikers Island guard, Garina Fearon, may now have more money than some of the famous inmates she's had to look over during her time on duty. Fearon won $54MM in last week's Mega Millions drawing, and she told the NY Post, "I wanted a better life. I was struggling as a single parent. I've really come back from nothing." Yep, it's the feel good story for your Friday afternoon! more ›

Every time a local hits the Mega Millions jackpot do you consider getting in on the action; what's a buck a week, anyway? The latest winner purchased his $64MM winning ticket at 72 Lucky Lotto in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn—where owner Dharmesh (Danny) Chokshi plans on making signs to announce the big win happened there. He also told the Daily News, "I wish the winner all the best. I just hope they appreciate it." It's unclear if Chokshi is looking for a little tip from the winner, but he'll already be receiving $10,000 from Mega Millions for selling the ticket. As for the winner, the Brooklyn man will be revealed in the future, but for now the paper notes he chose to take the lump sum of $42,049,934—before taxes. more ›

Last week, it was announced that the $162 million Mega Millions ticket had been sold at the Cards and Things store in Rocky Point, Long Island. Newsday (subscription req'd) reports that there are numerous rumors about who might be the lucky winner: Is it "a kindly priest who plans to give all the money to the church" or "an elderly man - possibly with a glass eye - who worked for years as a janitor at Stony Brook University Medical Center and has gone into hiding"? Or does the "big ticket [remain] unclaimed because it blew away in the wind"? It took a while for a Queens MTA worker to pick up his big Mega Millions jackpot earlier this year—he contacted a lawyer first! more ›

The Bronx's Jimmy Groves came forward yesterday to hold his Mega Millions press conference, his first public appearance since winning $168 million in the big drawing a few weeks back. After reports of Groves boozing up and bumming out fearing the downsides of his big paycheck, yesterday he was all smiles, telling of his big first meal as New York's biggest jackpot winner ever (a hamburger) and about his mom rushing up from Tennessee once she heard. The self-described "homebody" has retired from his job stacking chairs at MSG and said he wants to buy a home with a yard, possibly in the Bronx or Harlem or "places in Brooklyn that are having a resurgence." He said, "I went to Germany. I came back, and New York is the only place for me right now." Like 96% of ticket buyers, Groves said he always chooses the lump sum option, but switched to the annuity on the winning ticket "because it might bring a change of luck." The 49-year-old grandfather tried to downplay his newfound status saying, "I still got to pay my rent, I still got to pay my lights and gas. I'm still just a regular Joe like everybody else. It's just that I got lucky." more ›

The Harlem Mega Millions winner who said that winning the $168 million has turned his life into hell is apparently eager to continue spreading the word and allowing people around him to share in the collective nightmare. A Fordham bodega owner near the one where Groves bought the winning ticket two weeks ago says he came in to buy a six-pack of Heineken and began bragging of the winnings and the fact that he was "not working anymore in my life!" The store owner who encountered Groves tells the Post, "I didn't believe him, because what would a millionaire be doing coming in here and buying candy and beer?" When Groves first revealed himself to be the winner after laying low for a couple weeks, he said, "It's a dream turned into a nightmare. Winning is the beginning. Living with it is pure hell." But now he seems to be in better spirits; the News talks to a liquor store owner in his neighborhood who said, "He came in and bought a bottle of Hennessy yesterday. He was so happy." The Harlem man says he doesn't plan on abandoning his regular spots because "I got my McDonald's and White Castle near me." more ›

The mysterious man who won half of the giant Mega Millions jackpot a couple weeks back when he bought his ticket at a Bronx bodega has finally come forward—and now he might wish that he had kept quiet about it. 49-year-old Jimmy Groves of Harlem gave the Post the usual "I'm going to Disney World" quote, but also revealed a darker side of letting people know about his newfound $168 million. Groves says that his "family is in a position of jeopardy" and has been receiving 40 calls a day from people hitting him up for a hand-out. He tells the paper, "I wake up every morning, and everyone is on me like stink on shit. I know people say, 'Give me that hell.' Be careful what you wish for — you just might get it." Groves may have wished for a little too much attention himself—he was seen last week "toting a store sign bearing the lottery prize amount." He'll be toting an even bigger sign with it soon when the lottery officials confirm that Groves won and throw him a press conference to present one of those snazzy giant checks. The Post says Groves has already quit his job stacking chairs overnight at Madison Square Garden and just this year had defaulted on a credit card. more ›

While there's still no word on just who was lucky enough to pick up the winning ticket to Friday night's $333 million Mega Millions jackpot in the Bronx (one of two winning tickets), lottery officials did reveal just where it was printed. Fordham Grocery and Convenience Store on Fordham Road will receive a $10,000 prize for selling to the winner, but the only detail they know is that it was a Quick Pick ticket. Store owner Michael Patel said that he sold over 2,000 tickets in the days leading up to the drawing and had his suspicions that the lucky winner may have been a man who bought 200 tickets Friday night. Maybe he's laying low just as MTA worker Aubrey Bryce did for three weeks when he won Mega Millions last month. Patel and his son Bhavesh posed posed for the News with a handwritten sign reading "Winner!! Mega Million Jackpot $166 million here!!" (Take some pride, fellas—round UP.) One local who shops at the store told NY1, "I'm really, really happy. It happened right here at my spot on my block where I play all the time. It could have been me, so God bless them. I won $10, so I'm grateful." more ›

The multi-state lottery drawing, Mega Millions, was up to $333 million when last night's drawing occurred—and one of the two winning tickets was sold in the Bronx! The winning numbers: 1-17-31-37-54, and the Mega Ball number was 31. The Daily News reports, "After taxes, the cash payout is estimated at $210.4 million. If no winners emerge, the jackpot will go up to $430 million - the largest lottery payout ever." Lottery ticket sellers wouldn't mind, as bigger jackpots mean more sales; a Lower East Side bodega owner said, "Some people buy $20 and $50 worth of tickets. One guy bought $100 worth today." And Newsday reveals, "Three New Yorkers, including one in Queens and one in the Bronx, hit for the second prize, worth $250,000. They had all five numbers correct, but failed to hit the Mega ball." Late last month, MTA worker Aubrey Boyce revealed he won the July 7 Mega Millions jackpot (he took a $55 million cash lump sum from the $133 million total) three weeks after the drawing. more ›

Former MTA worker (he already quit!) and new multimillionaire Aubrey Boyce would probably like to take his lotto winnings and buy a new name. The Queens resident finally picked up his $133 million from the Mega Millions folks at Grand Central yesterday—a nearly $55 million (post tax) lump sum payment—on a giant check made out to the mysterious "Archibald Trust" (a fund Boyce created and appointed himself trustee of). more ›

Guess you can't just win millions upon millions of dollars and expect to keep a secret. The mystery man or woman behind the winning Mega Millions ticket is unveiling him or herself today and picking up the winning July 7th pot. The ticket, purchased in Jamaica, Queens, was the only one to have all 6 matching numbers, giving the winner the entire $133 million payout. The NY Post reports that the winner "will get a lump-sum check for nearly $83 million, before taxes, from New York lottery officials at Grand Central Terminal." The employees at Shiv Convenience, where the winning ticket was printed out, are anxious to find out which of their customers has been keeping their fortune a secret. Store manager Bharat Patel said, "It's going to be a surprise. But I'll know the person as soon as I see them." The store also gets a $10,000 bonus for selling the ticket. If this story is giving you lottery fever, tonight's Mega Millions jackpot is $60 million—if you win that's a $2,307,692 annual, or $35,210,000 lump-sum payout. Decisions decisions. UPDATE: The Daily News reports the winner is 49-year-old MTA worker Aubrey Boyce, who works (worked?!) as a collections agent making around $50K a year. He'll take home the lump-sum of $56.7 million after taxes. more ›