Five friends who have been playing the lottery for 10 years won $106 million in the Mega Millions lottery. The other lucky winners and long time friends of Lopez include: husband and wife Manuel Hernandez, 45, also a limousine driver from Yonkers, and Acela Hernandez, 51, a housekeeper; Angela Pajes, 45, a daycare teacher from Basking Ridge, N.J.; and Miguel Acosta, 47, a business owner from Yonkers.
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They were presented with a ceremonial check Thursday at Empire City Casino in Yonkers. Lopez bought the quick-pick ticket for the group at Yonkers Grocery & Convenience Store on Yonkers Avenue on September 11.
“We take turns buying tickets and it was my turn”, Lopez said in a release. He felt “very happy” learning about their jackpot, he said. They plan to vacation to Miami and France with their newfound riches.
Hapeman said the lottery often sees groups of winners, including buddies sharing a ticket and coworkers pitching in on office pools.
The group opted for a single, lump-sum payout worth roughly $13.1 million each before taxes.
Pajes, the only Jersey resident of the bunch, will take home $8.67 million – about $200,000 more than his friends – thanks to smaller taxes in the Garden State.
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No one has hit Mega Millions since then, pushing the jackpot for Friday’s drawing to $129 million.
