LIers scoop up tickets for $325M Powerball jackpot

The $325-million Powerball jackpot has Long Islanders dreaming big as they headed to gas stations and convenience stores Saturday to buy the tickets that might change their lives.

Some are dreaming really big about Saturday night's drawing: Dan Radzicki, 40, of Bellmore bought three tickets at the Lukoil station in Wantagh and said if he wins the jackpot, "I would buy the Islanders -- and keep them on Long Island."

Frank Aydi, 26, of Franklin Square had similarly lofty purchases in mind. If he wins big, he said he would buy a Fortune 500 company and an island in the Mediterranean. Aydi works at the Mobil station in Rockville Centre and said the sale of Powerball tickets had been steady all day, but predicted it would pick up in the afternoon.

Jimmy Keller, also 26, works at the same gas station and said he plays games such as Powerball and Mega Millions every week. The Dix Hills man said he's never won more than $100, but he's still hoping for that big payout.

If he wins, "My lovely mother gets whatever she wants," Keller joked, adding that he would help his father and siblings out. For himself, he would buy "stability and a good therapist."

When no tickets matched all six numbers for Wednesday's Powerball, the jackpot in the multistate lottery game jumped to more than $300 million, game officials said this week. It marks the fifth-highest jackpot in the history of the Powerball game; the game's highest jackpot, $365 million, was won in February 2006.

The New York Lottery puts the odds of winning the jackpot at 1 in 175 million.

-- With Gary Dymski and Candice Ruud