Biggest Lottery Winner From The Jersey Shore

It was a quite May day here at the Jersey Shore back in 2013 when a man from Tinton Falls found out he won half of the $198 million Mega Millions jackpot.

In case you were wondering if it can happen around here, the answer is yes it can happen and yes it has happened before. Your dream of walking into your local convenience store and purchasing the lottery ticket that will change your life forever has actually happened before.

So, where did this magical ticket get purchased? Well, it was picked up at the Kwik Farms on Shrewsbury Ave. And it was purchased by Tinton Fall resident Guiseppe Garofalo, who bought $10 worth of Mega Millions tickets, among them the winning ticket, according to the Mega Millions website.

He chose the cash payout, which was over $73 million before taxes, and that ain't bad. It's not the highest ever in the Garden State, but it does top the list of highest and closest. Almost three years ago, a winning ticket worth well over $500 million was sold at a Lukoil in Riverdale, according to nj.com.

I tell you all of this because I want you to know that all that optimism you carry with you each time you step into your favorite convenience store to get your lottery tickets does have some actual justification.

We each have our habits and strategies and lucky numbers and rituals. And why not? Maybe the next time you head to your favorite store and drop $10 on lottery tickets, you might be the next big winner!

And even if you don't it's fun to be in it. My nightmare is not getting tickets for a big jackpot and then finding out the winning ticket was sold at the store I would have bought mine at. Ouch!