Newly Minted Millionaire: $1M Lottery Central Mass Winner Didn't Plan To Buy Ticket

You can be lucky even if you never intended to put your chips in. One Worcester man won $1 million in the Massachusetts State Lottery because he needed to change for $20.

Paul Verdini Jr.
Photo Credit: *Massachusetts State Lottery*

Josh Lanier

03/19/2024 11:27 a.m.

Paul Verdini Jr. won the seven-figure prize on the luckiest of all days — Saint Patrick's Day, Sunday, March 17. He was looking to break a $20 when he bought a $5 "Money Money Money" scratch-off ticket.

The name of the game was no lie. Verdini won $1 million. However, he chose to take the lump sum option of $650,000 (before taxes) rather than the annuity.

He plans to buy a new car with the cash.

Verdini bought the ticket at Shaw’s supermarket at 50 Boston Turnpike Rd. in Shrewsbury. The store will get a $10,000 bonus for the sale.

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