While many people caught Powerball fever this week, one Garden City Park woke up $33 million richer after winning Mega Millions.
Philip Cimino, a 67-year-old floral designer who said he couldn’t afford to retire, picked his lucky numbers Nov. 2 at the Mineola Card & Smoke and chose to receive the money as a lump sum. After taxes, Cimino pockets $16,408,264.
“I have no need for luxury things,” he said. “I just want to sleep at night knowing I’ll be okay.”
He’s sure to sleep well in the new condo he said he might buy. With the rest of the cash, Cimino wants to take care of his friends and family.
Cimino claimed his prize Thursday at the New York Lottery Customer Service Center in Garden City along with a Greenlawn woman who split a $1-million scratch off game prize with her mother.
Jennifer Auriemma said her husband, Tony, bought a bunch of The Color of Money scratch offs with her mother, Frances Brauer, when she was visiting from Florida. They bought the tickets Nov. 18 at Planet Gas on East Pulaski Road.
“I looked at the ticket they were holding and told them what they thought was a $100,000 prize was actually a million dollar prize,” Jennifer said of the moment she found her husband and mother celebrating the win.
The prize is paid as $50,000 a year for 20 years. Brauer and Auriemma will each receive an annual check totaling $16,545 after taxes.
Brauer plans to spend her half of the prize on her children and grandchildren. Auriemma said she will pay some bills and invest the rest for her children.
