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Woodside Retiree Wins $2,000,000 Powerball Prize

April 26, 2012 Staff Report

Nilda Cuevas, 61, of Woodside, is a two-time Powerball millionaire of sorts. The former insurance industry employee purchased two identical sets of numbers on two separate tickets for the April 7 Powerball drawing and then waited to see her numbers come in.

“I always play the same combination of birthdays, and I always buy two tickets,” explained Cuevas. “I fell asleep before the drawing that night, but woke up early Sunday morning and saw the winning numbers on TV and knew immediately I had the first five numbers.”

Cuevas said she couldn’t wait to share her news with her husband. “I made him a cup of coffee and told him to sit down. He was as excited as me.” The couple claimed Cuevas’ two $1,000,000 winners on April 9 at the Lottery’s Customer Service Center in New York City.

Cuevas bought her winning tickets at the New Stadium Gourmet Deli on East 161st Street in the Bronx. She will receive her prize as one net payment totaling $1,246,080. Cuevas said she and her husband looked forward to “taking a different cruise every month for the foreseeable future.”