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Orlando Couple Claims Final 1/3 Share Of $7 Million Jackpot

NR 01-31-01 ... On Tuesday, Jan 30, an Orlando couple claimed the final one-third share of the $7 million Florida Lotto jackpot from the Jan 27 drawing. Louis Garavano (82) and his wife of 58 years, Eugenia, arrived at Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee as the last of three winners of the jackpot. The other two winning tickets, sold in St. Augustine and Lehigh Acres, were redeemed on Jan 29 and 30 respectively. The Garavanos chose to collect their prize in form of a single cash payment of $1,324,087 rather than receiving 30 annual installments of approximately $77,777 each.

"I got up early Sunday morning and read in the newspaper that I had all the winning numbers," said Louis, who retired from the U.S. Navy in 1974 and moved to Florida four years later. "I told my wife we had won the Lotto and she didn't believe me, so I went back to bed," he stated calmly.

"I just didn't believe him when he told me," said Eugenia, who together with her husband has four grown children and seven grandchildren. "It just didn't sink in right away. It still hasn't sunk in!" The lucky ticket was bought at the Circle K store, located at 320 West State Road 434 in Winter Springs (Seminole County).

"We bought our tickets in Winter Springs when we were buying gas there last week," said Louis. "We buy them in various places and usually spend $5 on Lotto tickets for the Saturday night drawings. The most we won before this was $86." "My husband just picked the numbers out with no particular reason, but I like to use my children's and grandkid's birthdays for my numbers," said Eugenia. "It just depends on what mood I'm in."

The Garavanos, who have been playing the Florida Lottery since the games began in 1988, plan to use their winnings mainly for investment purposes. Eugenia expressed that she also wants a new diamond ring for her 60th wedding anniversary in two years.

The Garavanos became the 12th Florida Lotto winners to either reside or purchase a jackpot winning ticket in Seminole County, and the 641st winners of more than $1 million since the game began in 1988.

Lehigh Acres Couple Claims 1/3 Share Of $7 Million Jackpot

NR 01-31-01 ... On Tuesday, Jan 30, a retired construction worker from Lehigh Acres and his wife redeemed the second of three Florida Lotto jackpot tickets from the Jan 27 drawing. John Brown (64) and Dorothy Brown (59) collected their $1,324,087 share of the $7 million prize in the company of children and grandchildren at Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. The couple opted for a single cash payment instead of receiving 30 annual installments of approximately $77,777 each.

The first of the three winning tickets from the Jan 27 drawing was redeemed on Monday, Jan 29, by Rebecca and Ron Ellenbecker of St. Augustine (see story below). The third and final winning ticket, sold in Winter Springs, has not been claimed yet.

The Browns stated that they have played Florida Lotto every Saturday for years. Though usually skipping the Wednesday drawing, they granted that they will probably play mid-week as well now. Their biggest win so far had been a $400 payout for correctly picking 4 out of 6 numbers in Lotto.

John selected the winning numbers [3 – 7 – 21 – 33 – 38 – 46] based on the ages and birth dates of their seven children, 14 grandchildren and four great grandchildren - some of whom accompanied the couple to pick up their award.

"It was the last thing I did Saturday night - I got my tickets just before they closed it," said John, who has lived in Lehigh Acres for 13 years since moving from Jacksonville. John said he attended church the next day and was home eating when he decided to check his Lotto tickets. "I looked at one number - I got that one. Looked at another number - got that one. I checked them all and I got all of them!"

"I was stunned," John recounted. "I called my wife and she started hollering." Dorothy Brown said she then tried telephoning their children, but initially could not reach any of them. "I wanted to tell somebody," she said. "I wanted to make sure I was not seeing the numbers wrong."

The Browns bought their lucky ticket at the Hess Express, located at 5551 Lee Boulevard in Lehigh Acres (Lee County near Fort Myers). They are the 20th Florida Lotto winners to either reside or purchase a jackpot winning ticket in Lee County. They also became the 640th winners of more than $1 million since the game began in 1988.

... One player with ticket from Coral Springs wins $160,532 Fantasy 5 jackpot on Jan 30. This is the 5th largest Fan5 jackpot ever awarded to an individual winner and the 10th Fan5 individual payout to exceed $100,000. It is also the 7th Fan5 jackpot won by a single player. [See the "Top 10 Fan5 Individual Payouts"].

NR 01-31-01 ... Three winners share $357,033 Mega Money jackpot on Tuesday, Jan 30 !!!

St. Augustine Couple Claims 1/3 Share Of $7 Million Jackpot

NR 01-30-01 ... On Monday, Jan 29, a woman from St. Augustine who played her own set of lucky numbers for three weeks, claimed her one-third share of the $7 million Florida Lotto jackpot from the Jan 27 drawing. Rebecca Ellenbecker (39) is one of three winners of the jackpot and she arrived in the company of her husband Ron at Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. The other two winning tickets, sold in Lehigh Acres and Winter Springs, have not been claimed yet. Rebecca chose to collect her prize in form of a single cash payment of $1,324,087 instead of receiving 30 annual installments of approximately $77,777 each.

"I just started playing these lucky numbers three weeks ago and can't believe I won with them already," stated Rebecca, who works for Flagler Hospital as a medical transcriptionist and also has her own medical transcription business at night with Ron. "I didn't check the winning numbers until Sunday afternoon and must have checked seven different places before I believed I had won!"

"We are just average, everyday people who got lucky," said Ron, who manages his wife's medical transcription business. "This doesn't happen everyday. It's a once-in-a-lifetime deal, so you have to make sure it lasts!"

Rebecca bought her lucky ticket at Lil Champ store, located at 2900 U.S. Highway 1 South in St. Augustine. She is the 4th Florida Lotto winner to either reside or purchase a jackpot winning ticket in St. Johns County. All four Lotto winners from St. Johns County have either lived in St. Augustine or purchased their winning ticket there. Furthermore, three of the four winning tickets were purchased from Lil Champ stores in St. Augustine. Rebecca also became the 639th winner of more than $1 million since the game began in 1988.

"We're going to use some of our winnings to pay off our debts, set up college funds for our three children, save some and maybe spend a week in Disney World," said Ron. "We're not going to quit our jobs, but we may not be working as much. This won't be a dramatic change in our lives. This will allow us to buy some things we haven't had."

"We drove all night to get to Tallahassee so I could actually see that I had won today," expressed Rebecca. "I'm in shock and I still don't believe it. I put my ticket in a fire-proof security box and carried it with me all the way over here." Ron added, "I won't believe we have won until we get to spend it. The most I've won before was $89, but now the Lottery has really been good to us!"

New Port Richey Woman Claims $45 Million Jackpot

NR 01-26-01 ... On Thursday, Jan 25, a woman from New Port Richey claimed the $45 million Florida Lotto jackpot from the Jan 20 drawing at Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. Donna M. Aloi (43) opted to collect her prize in form of a single cash payment of $24,151,559 instead of receiving 30 annual installments of approximately $1,500,000 each.

Donna purchased 15 Lotto Quick Pick tickets after losing her own “lucky” numbers which she has played for 13 years. "I lost my cards with my lucky Lotto numbers on them about two weeks ago, which turned out not to be so lucky" she said. "I then bought $15 worth of Quick Picks. When I saw the winning numbers on TV Sunday morning and heard the winner was from New Port Richey, I knew I had won. If it wasn't for my Quick Pick tickets, I wouldn't be here today!"

Donna, who works as a corporate receptionist for T. M. P. Worldwide in Tampa, stated that she stored her winning ticket behind a silk flower arrangement in her house until she finally put it in a safe. "I called my parents and told them I won on Sunday morning, but they said I sounded real strange to them. Now they know why." She added, "I believe it wasn't luck that I won; I was blessed."

"I've been playing the Lotto since it started in 1988 and I have told everyone that I was going to hit the Jackpot, and I did!" said Donna, who is originally from Pittsburgh but has lived in New Port Richey for about 20 years. She also revealed that, "I'm going to use some of my winnings to help out my family, buy a new car, boat, house, and save for investments. I haven't had a new car in 17 years. I may return to my job part time, but I won't decide what I'll do next until I get home."

The lucky ticket was bought at the Speedway store, located at 5736 U.S. Highway 19 in New Port Richey.

Mrs. Aloi is the 13th Florida Lotto winner to either reside or purchase a jackpot winning ticket in Pasco County. She also became the 638th winner of more than $1 million since the game began in 1988. The last Florida Lotto winner from New Port Richey was a group of 11 workers from the Whispering Pines Nursing Center, who claimed an $81.60 million jackpot on March 29, 2000. To date, this award remains as the largest Florida Lotto jackpot ever bestowed on a single winning party.

NR 01-24-01 ... Two winners share $167,188 Mega Money jackpot on Tuesday, Jan 23 !!!

Beverly Hills Woman Claims $179,850 Mega Money Jackpot

NR 01-23-01 ... On Monday, Jan 22, a woman from Beverly Hills (Citrus County) claimed the $179,850 Mega Money jackpot from the Jan 19 drawing at Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. Florence Lewis (72) bought her winning ticket at the Shell Food Mart, located at 3502 N. Lecanto Highway in Beverly Hills, and used a Quick Pick option to choose her lucky numbers.

Lotto Ticket Sales To Peak Tonight

NR 01-20-01 ... At 6 pm on Thursday, Jan 18, the Florida Lottery registered 2,400 ticket sales per minute for Saturday’s $45 million Lotto jackpot. Nevertheless, ticket sales are expected to reach a level of 15,000 – 20,000 per minute statewide on Saturday between 5 and 8 pm. Indeed, Lotto ticket sales are up by 6% compared to last November, when a similar series of seven rollovers also accumulated a $45 million jackpot. Should an individual winner clinch the large jackpot tonight, s/he could choose between an approximate lump sum cash payment of $22.5 million or 30 annual installments of $1.5 million per year. This rollover series has raised $18 million (38%) for public education in Florida thus far.

Sole Player Wins Largest Mega Money Jackpot Ever

NR 01-18-01 ... On Wednesday, Jan 17, a woman from Lynn Haven arrived at Florida Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee to claim the largest Mega Money jackpot ever awarded. Priscilla Miller (53) is the sole winner of the $1,199,518 main prize from Mega Money’s Jan 16 drawing.

"I saw the numbers when they were drawn on TV last night and thought I had only won three numbers," said Priscilla, who works as a payroll administrator for a large corporation in Bay County. "Then I remembered I had the number 25 on my ticket and went back and checked it. That's when I knew I had won! All I could say was 'Oh my God' when I showed the ticket to my husband, David."

The winning numbers for Tuesday’s drawing are 3 – 5 – 25 – 30 + 29. Priscilla revealed that she chose these lucky numbers "by using 3 and 5 which are mine and my husband's birthdays, 25 from our 25th wedding anniversary, 30 from one of my daughter's ages, and 29 from the year my husband's parents were born."

"We plan to buy Priscilla a new SUV, a new boat, maybe a new house and use the rest for investments," said David, who works as an advertising manager and accompanied his wife to Tallahassee. "We also both plan to keep working at our jobs because we love what we do."

A series of five consecutive rollovers, which began on Dec 26 last year, produced the record Mega Money jackpot. This award tops the previously highest Mega Money payout of $1,179,088, won by Scott Milliard (35) of Fort Lauderdale on Jan 7, 2000, by $20,430. On that occasion, the jackpot had rolled over five times as well.

Total payout per draw also set a new record on Jan 16, with $1.63 million disbursed to 90,473 winners. The previously highest payout per draw was $1.59 million, disbursed to 102,812 winners on Oct 19, 1999. On that occasion, the jackpot had rolled over four times.

Priscilla bought her winning ticket at the E-Z Serve store, located at 5633 East Highway 98 in Panama City.

Gainesville Woman Wins Christmas Lotto Jackpot

NR 01-12-01 ... On Thursday, Jan 11, a woman from Gainesville claimed the $15 million Florida Lotto jackpot from the Dec 23 drawing at Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. Yvette Glisson (29) chose to collect her prize in form of a single cash payment of $8,714,860, rather than receiving 30 annual installments of approximately $500,000 each.

“I only play when the Lotto gets over $10 million, so I bought my usual two Quick Picks and three of my personal numbers,” said Yvette, who works for a local government agency in Alachua County. “I looked at my ticket the next day after the drawing and realized I had all six numbers. I thought I was going to have a heart attack when I found out. I started screaming!”

The winning combination was 8 – 27 – 29 – 34 – 37 – 47. Yvette said she chose number 8 because it is her lucky number, 27 - 37 - 47 from a previous Lotto drawing, 29 for her age, and 34 because it was “fixed in my mind.” The lucky ticket was bought at the Sprint store, located at 5310 NW 13th Street in Gainesville.

“I didn’t go to sleep until late that night after I won and then got up early the next morning,” the winner stated. “I told my news only to some close relatives. I kept the ticket with me until the bank’s safe deposit box opened on Monday.” And she added, “I plan on using my winnings to take care of my family, set up an educational trust fund, and buy a new home and new vehicle. I plan on working part time and having time to attend college full time. Now I can get rid of my old jeans and buy some new ones.”

Yvette is the 7th Florida Lotto winner to either reside or purchase a jackpot winning ticket in Alachua County, and the 637th Lotto winner of more than a million dollars since 1988.

Visiting German Couple Wins $23 Million Lotto Jackpot

NR 01-04-01 ... On Wednesday, Jan 3, a vacationing couple from Germany claimed the $23 million Florida Lotto jackpot from the Dec 9 drawing at Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee. Bruno Lindner, a retired engineer, and Ingeborg Lindner, a retired nurse, played Lotto shortly after arriving in St. Pete Beach on holiday. They opted to collect their prize in form of a single cash payment of $12,133,656, rather than receiving 30 annual installments of approximately $801,000 each.

The Lindners, who reside part of the year in Munich (Germany) and part in Estepona (Spain), arrived in St. Pete Beach on Dec 1 – just two days before the drawing. The following day Bruno bought five Lotto tickets at a local Publix Supermarket. He said that he picked the numbers at random, but that he chose high numbers because he knew the lower numbers are played most often. “It’s just a game,” he stated. [The winning numbers were 35 – 38 – 40 – 45 – 47 - 50].

Bruno discovered their win when he returned to Publix to buy some potatoes the Monday after the drawing. “He didn’t have his glasses so he gave the cashier his ticket and asked her to please check it for him,” Ingeborg said. “She pushed it into the machine and then she screamed, ‘Oh, my God, I’m going to get the manager!’”

“I didn’t know what to do,” Bruno expressed. “I’m sitting in a little room while they called the Lottery. I realized I had won - but I couldn’t believe it.” When he returned home to tell his wife the good news, she knew something was going on. “He was going shopping,” she said, “but there was no shopping bag.” And Bruno acknowledged, “I forgot my potatoes.”

‘“Just imagine what happened,’ he asked me, so I guessed he had an accident,” Ingeborg said. “He told me, ‘Now get hold of yourself’ … ‘You know what, I have won the Lottery.’” “We have never won anything in our lives,” Ingeborg said. “We have worked hard for our money. I was nervous for two weeks and couldn’t sleep wondering, why did this happen now?”

The Lindners, who have been married for 30 years, say they have just three plans for their prize money: a new car, a larger apartment and a cruise. They bought their winning ticket at Publix Store # 0139 at 4655 Gulf Boulevard in St. Pete Beach. Theirs is the 48th jackpot winning Lotto ticket to be sold in Pinellas County and the 636th Lotto ticket to be worth more than a million dollars since the beginning of the game in 1988.