Two limo drivers, a housekeeper, a teacher and a small-business owner are splitting a $106 million Mega Millions jackpot drawn last month.
Lottery officials in New York introduced the group of five friends to the public Thursday. Limo driver Edgar Lopez purchased the ticket for the Sept. 11 drawing at Yonkers Grocery and Convenience in Yonkers when it was his turn to buy the group's pool ticket.
After the drawing, Lopez had very good news for his longtime friends-turned-mega-millionaires.
"I told them that something good has happened," he said. "We won the lottery and I gave them all a copy of the ticket."
Lopez is splitting the winnings with 45-year-old limo driver Manuel Hernandez, 51-year-old housekeeper Acela Hernandez, 45-year-old day care teacher Angela Pajes and 47-year-old HVAC business owner Miguel Acosta, for a lump individual sum of $13,102,595 or a net check of $8,477,726 each – except for the lone New Jersey resident, Pajes, who will get a net check of $8,671,297.
All but one of the group are from Yonkers. They played the lottery together for about 10 years.
"We promised each other that we would split the prize if we ever won," said Lopez.
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"We have worked hard all of our lives, and to have this happen is just amazing," he added.
Plans for the money include vacations to Miami and France – and just saving it.
