A Guyanese carpenter has been identified as the winner of a US$245.6 million jackpot in the New York Lottery’s Powerball Game.
According to a New York Post report, Nandlall Mangal, 42, bought a US$6 Quick Pick ticket on August 11th while purchasing groceries at the Stop & Shop Supermarket on Hylan Boulevard.
However, Mangal, who lives with his wife in a ranch home in New Dorp, did not find out about his winnings for several days, as he had tossed the ticket aside after getting home from the supermarket and had gone on a short vacation in Maryland.
A New York Daily News report added that it wasn’t until Mangal logged into his computer that he realised that he had won as his ticket had the winning numbers, which were 5, 43, 56, 62, 68 and 24. “It sat on my kitchen table for a week. I don’t check the tickets that often. Who thinks they’re going to win the lottery?” he said.
“I couldn’t believe it… I can’t explain that feeling. The things that go through your mind. You realise you got the winning ticket and you’re like, ‘Wow I can’t believe it’s me.’ It’s just a weird feeling. You’re nervous, you’re excited, and you’re a bunch of emotions,” Mangal was quoted as saying.
It was noted that Mangal tried to keep his new wealth a secret for as long as possible, and even went to work the next day as per normal and he only went public with the winning ticket because state law required him to do so.
“I checked (the ticket), put it away, checked it the next day and put it in a safety deposit box… I put it in a white envelope in the glove box. I didn’t want it to fly out the window,” the man said.
As it relates to plans for his new wealth, Mangal, who was been living on Staten Island for 11 years, says he plans to continue living on Staten Island but has his eyes set on a vacation in Hawaii.
“I’m going to invest some, pay off my bills, my debts. I’m pretty sure at some time, I’ll buy a new car… I always wanted to travel, so I’m pretty sure I’m going to travel. I would like to go to Hawaii,” he told New York Daily News.
In the meantime, Mangal says he is assigning the winnings, which are expected to total US$99,321,975 after withholdings, to a trust named “Sea & Sand.”
Additionally, the report noted that Larry Di Antonio, the manager of the store that sold the winning ticket, has assured that the commission the store received from selling the ticket goes to charity. “I’m very happy the winner comes from Staten Island,” Di Antonio said. “We wanted to pay it forward and keep the good luck flowing on Staten Island, so with the $10,000 commission, we donated it to Project Hospitality, the largest food and soup kitchen on Staten Island,” he added.
