Winning $148 million Powerball ticket sold in Merrick
A winning Saturday Powerball ticket was sold at Merrick Gas & Repair in Merrick, the New York Lottery website said. Credit: Jeff Bachner
A winning Powerball ticket sold at a Merrick gas station made one lucky person $148 million richer on Saturday.
Merrick Gas & Repair Inc. sold the ticket with the winning numbers 18-21-24-30-60. The Powerball was 20. The single winner of the $148 million prize purchased a Quick Pick ticket, according to the New York Lottery website.
The jackpot winner has not yet been identified, and staff at the Merrick Avenue store said they were stumped as to who the person could be.
Gas station owner Mohammad Sajjad, who owns nine stores in New York, said it was by far the biggest prize ever won through one of his shops.
Other customers had won “in the thousands, yes, but not in millions,” said Sajjad, of Brooklyn.
Customers who buy gas or lottery tickets at Merrick Gas said Sunday they wish they had won but are glad it was likely someone local who did.
“I think it’s great," said Chris Lombardo, 43, of North Merrick. "Hopefully they do something good with it and share it with family and community and maybe charity.”
Mike Donohoe, 45, of Brooklyn, walked into the gas station Sunday to cash in a Lotto ticket worth $8.
“I wish I’d bought it earlier now that I know they sold it,” he said. He’s going to use the $8 to get a scratch-off ticket. “Hopefully I’m lucky.”
Gail Miller, 70, of Merrick, clapped her hand over her mouth and jumped back when she heard the jackpot amount.
“Too bad it wasn’t me. That’s even more than I want,” she said.
Three $1 million second-prize tickets were sold in Colorado, Ohio and Nebraska. A third-prize $50,000 winner was also sold somewhere in New York State, according to the lottery website.
Vera Chinese covers Suffolk County government and politics. She joined Newsday in 2017 after working as an editor for the East End lifestyle publication northforker and a general assignment reporter for the New York Daily News.
