Coulson’s store owner Steve Hutchins
If reports are true, that the group of lucky seven New York state government workers hit the $319 million Mega Millions Jackpot, would not be surprising to leave the job. But it would be too suspicious and apparently!
Emanuel Biondi, public employees federation council leader for New York’s Division of Housing and Community Renewal, told the big winners were seven information technology professionals at the agency. They bought several Quick Pick tickets from Coulson’s News Center, a 100-year-old family-run convenience store in downtown Albany.
Lucky store owner Steve Hutchins, 63, will get a $10,000 bonus from the state Lottery for selling the winning ticket. It’s very neat to know someone who comes into my store is going to be very wealthy from a ticket we sold them. It makes me feel warm inside, said Coulson’s owner.
The winners have not yet come forward to officially claim their prize, a New York Lottery spokeswoman said, but they have a year to do so. The winning numbers were 22-24-31-52-54, with Megaball number 4, and the jackpot is the sixth-highest in the game’s history. The largest jackpot was $390 million in March 2007.
Store manager, Steve Gallucci, hangs a sign at Coulson's News in Albany
They will be able to choose to accept the total prize in payments over 25 years or take a one-time payment of $202.9 million before taxes. The seven winners would split $134 million, or $19.1 million each, after taxes.
They’re all just middle-class folks, said Emanuel Biondi, a union representative with the state Public Employees Federation. I’m thrilled for them.
The Mega Millions multi-state lottery game is played in 41 states, plus Washington, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Friday’s jackpot was the 5th highest in the game’s history, and the 9th largest for any U.S. lottery game. It is the largest Mega Millions jackpot won by a single ticket.
