Intrigue Intensifies As $245 Million Powerball Jackpot Winner On Staten Island Remains Unknown
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Someone who bought a Powerball ticket on Staten Island is now $245 million richer.
The single winning ticket from Saturday night's drawing was sold at a Stop & Shop on Hylan Boulevard, CBS2's Hazel Sanchez reported Monday.
Someone bought the only winning ticket at the store in the New Dorp section of the borough. The multi-million-dollar question is who?
"It's a big mystery now. Everybody wants to know," Stop & Shop manager Larry DiAntonio said.
Since the winning numbers were drawn Saturday night, DiAntonio has become a detective of sorts, trying to formulate who the hit the jackpot.
"I tried to do it yesterday, take a roster count. What associates didn't show up today. But that didn't work," DiAntonio said. "It's a good chance it's someone who frequents the store."
Perhaps someone like frequent customer John Marco.
"I'm in and out all day long," Marco said, adding when pressed if he could be the winner, "No, not me. I wish it was somebody in my family, though."
"I think I know who won ... because I was here when they bought the Powerball tickets," customer Chris Lawrence added. "I can't say anything. She's gonna want to be anonymous."
"She" could be Lola Peridiso, who plays Powerball religiously.
"Everybody called to say 'Was it you?'" she said.
Peridiso did seem to walk inconspicuously away from the lottery counter on Monday.
"Every time I come shopping I play," she said. "But I haven't been here in two weeks, so I didn't play."
While there is a single winning ticket, of course it could be claimed by a pool of people. A group of Stop & Shop workers who normally pool together said this, unfortunately, was the one Saturday they decided not to play.
"I'd drop dead of a heart(attack)," Mildred Ciuccio said with a laugh.
Let's hope the winner took the news a lot better than that.
If the winner decides to take the lump sum prize, they will walk away with more than $147 million after taxes.