April 26, 2013 By Christian Murray
A Woodside woman won $1 million last month in a scratch-off game she purchased from a nearby store on 47th Avenue.
Melba Ortez Arias, 51, won the top prize on the new Family Feud scratch-off game that she purchased at Jaymaharaj Grocery, which is located at 45-01 47th Avenue in Woodside.
On the morning of March 28, Arias went into the store and purchased four tickets.
“The winning ticket was the last one I scratched,” Arias said in a statement.
She said she was very excited about winning, but tried to stay calm to avoid drawing attention to herself.
She claimed her ticket at the Lottery’s Customer Service Center in New York City that same day.
The $1 million will be paid in 20 annual payments of $50,000. Arias will receive net annual payments of $31,152 after taxes.
Arias said she is undecided on her plans for her Lottery prize, other than maybe looking for a new apartment.
Featured Events
8 Comments
Let me get this straight. She said she was very excited about winning, but tried to stay calm to avoid drawing attention to herself. But then she go and posse for a picture with the check. You (the editor) show a picture of her building and the store she frequents every morning + you mention how much she will be getting paid on a yearly basis. I swear some people have a warp sense of reality. Job well done! Here’s someone who will be moving out this weekend if she hasn’t done so yet.
Next time just say someone won $1mil at this store. We will still be happy for them and probably buy more tickets at that store which in turn will generate more revenue for the community. Now.. This lucky woman will do her shopping somewhere else. FAIL!!
Is it me, or does that check look phony?
Wow . . many congrats to her, but that after-tax figure is barely half – geesh . . .
God bless her. May this introduce a happy new phase of life for her and her loved ones. Many many happy days to you!
Congrats , good for her
She got it at Jay’s? I’m there every day! dammnitsomuch!
She better watch out for her life and get a super expensive health insurance so while the NY Lottery waits for her to die, insurance company will be watching making sure she does not.
I would never go for yearly payments.
I see her selling or transferring this to one of those loan sharks for half the amount, she will take around $250,000 to $300,000 lump sum, and walk away, that’s what I would do..
with the new money she can now afford a 2 bedroom in Sunnyside instead of a 1 bedroom. But she better not go for a 3 bedroom! She’ll go BROKE!