20 Melville Costco Employees Claim $202 Million Powerball Jackpot

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- There are 20 very happy and very wealthy people on Long Island as the winners of a $202 million Powerball jackpot claimed their prize.

The New York Lottery's Yolanda Vega awarded the $202 million prize to 20 Costco employees at the Melville store where they all work.

The winners, who range in age from 24 to 73, began their Powerball pool just about a month before winning the jackpot.

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"We got in when the jackpot was $144 million," explained group member Kim Karkota, 37, of Mastic. "We each paid $5 per drawing. We decided if we won anything, we would roll it right back into the pot."

Anthony Manzolillo, 73, purchased the ticket for the June 1 drawing at Maulik & Chandni stationery store on Montauk Highway in Lindenhurst. The store will receive a $10,000 bonus check for selling the winning ticket.

Manzolillo said when he went to the store on May 31st he forgot the group's money at home. He returned to cash in on a special deal offered to Lottery players which included two free sets of Quick Pick Powerball numbers for every $10 spent.

The morning after the drawing, Ralph Green, 61, of Copiague, got up at 4 a.m. to get ready for his shift in store's security unit, "and to check the Powerball numbers."

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"I couldn't believe what I was seeing," Green said.

Many of the winners plan to make the money last and some plan to use it for "moving out of my parent's house" and "upgrading my Harley [Davidson]" to "getting all my family from across the US together for a reunion" and "partying in Vegas."

The winners include:

• Anthony Manzolillo, 73, of Lindenhurst, a member services employee
• Earl Smith, 63, of Amityville, a member services employee
• Ralph Green, 61, of Copiague, a security employee
• Jasper Corso, 60, of Woodbury, a pharmacist
• Carlos Torres, 60, of Farmingdale, a member services employee
• Gwendolyn Paolini, 57, of Lindenhurst, a photo manager
• Chris Duran, 53, of Deer Park, an assistant general manager
• Maureen Prior, 49, of West Hempstead, a demonstrations employee
• Cindy Magnes, 46, of Wantagh, an administration employee
• Geraldine Smyth, 45, of Farmingdale, a vault clerk
• Jose Garcia, 44, of Lindenhurst, a meat cutter
• Ed Obarowski, 42, of Islip, a supervisor
• Camille DiGiona, 41, of Lindenhurst, a payroll clerk
• Joyce Malik, 41, of Selden, an administrative manager
• Valerie Woolley, 41, of West Babylon, a supervisor
• Kim Karkota, 37, of Mastic, a merchandise manager
• Jaime VanDett, 27, of Lindenhurst, a photo department employee
• James Farrelly, 27, of Lindenhurst, a supervisor
• Michael Volino, 25, of Bethpage, a supervisor
• Kevin Saphire, 24, of Lindenhurst, a front end supervisor

In:
• Powerball
• Costco