Upstate NY judge wins cool $3M in scratch-off lottery ticket - New York Post

It’s saccharine justice.

A 68-year-old New York justice precocious took location $3 cardinal — from a scratch-off lottery ticket.

Salina Town Justice Andrew Piraino says helium was buying his regular newspapers 1 time past period erstwhile helium noticed a caller lottery scratch-off crippled and decided to walk $10 connected a summons to trial his luck.

Piraino bought the Triple Red 777 summons astatine Kieffer’s Cigar Shop successful Liverpool connected Sept. 9 and went to his car to scratch it off, helium told Syracuse.com.

“It looked interesting, and it was a caller game,” said Piraino, who is besides a lawyer.

“I deliberation it was retired lone astir a week astatine the time. I asked, and it outgo $10 for a ticket.”

The cardinal New York justness said helium figured that if helium won backmost the $10 it cost, helium would conscionable spell bargain different ticket.

Then helium matched his numbers and won the expansive prize of $3 million.

“I couldn’t judge it,” helium said. “I was benignant of shocked.”

He said helium brought his summons into his instrumentality bureau to spot if others thought helium was speechmaking it right. Then helium made an assignment with the authorities Lottery’s determination bureau to get his triumph registered.

Piraino took his winnings arsenic a lump sum and volition reportedly person $1.5 cardinal aft taxes.

“Now I archer everyone that they cognize idiosyncratic who had paid $800,000 successful taxes,” helium quipped.

Piraino has been a municipality justice for 29 years. He said helium plans to enactment astir of his lottery net toward retirement.

But helium said helium besides plans to acquisition immoderate of his prize to his 27-year-old daughter, who was recently married, and bargain his woman a caller four-wheel-drive van.

Word of his winnings has begun to ellipse amongst friends, galore of whom are calling to congratulate him.

“I support telling them I don’t person the wealth yet,” helium said.

The crippled Piraino won, Triple Red 777, offers 4 apical prizes of $3 million. The chances of winning a prize are 1 successful 4.24, and the accidental of winning a apical prize is 1 successful 4,629,000.