FISHKILL – A Suffern man, Frank Rivera, is $15.8 million richer after winning in the November 5, 2016 Lotto drawing.
Ellis Gitlin of New City played Lotto for the December 31, 2016 drawing and won $6.5 million.
Both men were at the New York Lottery’s Fishkill office on Friday to receive large ceremonial checks for their winnings.
Rivera plays Lottery games on a regular basis. The retired state Department of Correctional Services employee is sharing the winnings with his daughter, Laura Rivera-Sachs, who works as a business analyst for a New Jersey company. They opted for a lump sum and will each receive $3.76 million after taxes.
When Rivera bought his winning ticket at Drug Mart Tallman on Route 59 in Suffern, he couldn’t believe he won. When his daughter came home, he had her check the numbers. “At first I didn’t believe my dad, but then I checked the numbers multiple times, and looked at where the winning ticket was purchased, and then I started to believe it was true.”
Rivera said he “always wanted to be able to do things for my family and now I’m able to.”
Gitlin is also a frequent lottery game player. He bought his winning ticket at the Dollar Store in New City and when he checked the numbers. “I was in complete disbelief,” he said on Friday.
He plans to use his winnings to help his children, invest for the future and take a vacation to Europe.
Gitlin has chosen to receive his prize as a one-time lump sum payment and will take home over $2.8 million after required withholdings.
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