Mega Millions winner still a mystery

Who won Tuesday's Mega Millions lottery remained the lead topic of conversation Thursday at the King Kullen supermarket in Middle Island, where the ticket was sold.

As of last night, no one had stepped forward with the Quick Pick lottery ticket worth $208 million, said New York Lottery spokeswoman Carolyn Hapeman. That's the biggest lottery jackpot ever won on Long Island.

The ticket was sold around 2 p.m. Monday, according to Lois Meyers, a bookkeeper at the supermarket. It bears Mega numbers 23, 32, 33, 39, 43 and a Mega Ball of 8.

Asked if she thought a co-worker could be the big winner, Lisa Korpi, the store's head bookkeeper said, "We don't think it's an employee. . . But we don't know for sure."

Despite the big win, shopper Frank Piccoli, 80, of Ridge, indicated he was not tempted to buy a lottery ticket at the store.

An infrequent lottery player, he said, "Whoever buys a ticket from this store now is an automatic loser," based on the principle that lightning doesn't strike twice in the same spot.