20 Long Island Costco Employees To Share $202 Million Powerball Winnings
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- A group of Costco employees on Long Island got the best bargain of their lives Thursday, as they found out they were owners of the only winning ticket in Wednesday night's $202 million Powerball drawing.
The 20 winners apparently work at the Costco in Melville. While employees weren't talking Thursday, shoppers had plenty to say, reports CBS 2's Cindy Hsu.
"That's wonderful," shopper Ellen Konadu said. "I feel great for them because they work hard. If they won, they deserve it."
"I think it's phenomenal that they won," said shopper Eileen Nieves. "It's good to see that someone local – and 20 people local – actually won."
1010 WINS' Mona Rivera reports: Lindenhurst's Lucky Store
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Costco employees said they weren't supposed to go on camera, but they told Hsu that some of the winners showed up for work Thursday with no idea they'd won. Employees said there was a lot of shock and jumping around, and that one employee apparently quit on the spot.
Lottery officials say the winning ticket was sold at the Maulik & Chandni stationery store on Montauk Highway in Lindenhurst. The store's owners said they got the call from the lottery folks Thursday morning.
"I was not able to believe it," one of the store's co-owners, Sam Patel, said. "It was unbelievable."
Co-owner Pat Desai said this is the third jackpot that a customer has won at the location.
"We had a $1 million winner, $90,000 winner -- it's a lucky place, let's put it that way," Desai told 1010 WINS' Mona Rivera.
The owners said the Costco employees are regular customers who normally buy at least $10 worth of tickets, usually opting for Quick Pick.
"It's a big amount of money," Patel said. "They should spend it wisely, and play responsibly."
The store will get a selling bonus of $10,000.
Lottery officials said no one has come forward with the winning ticket. Assuming the winners take the lump sum payout – and after taxes and dividing everything 20 ways – each winner will likely take home about $3 million.
The winning numbers were: 8, 18, 38, 46 and 56. The Powerball number was 31 and the Power Play was 4.
WCBS 880's Sophia Hall: People In The Stationery Store Keep Looking To See If The Winner Is Coming Through The Door
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WCBS 880's Sophia Hall: Some Of The Costco Workers Haven't Shown Up Today
