An MTA worker stationed on Staten Island was in disbelief when a New Jersey lottery app informed her she had just won $1 million after playing Powerball last week.
Stacey Fiore, of Barnegat Township, clinched the life-changing prize when she stopped by a Quick Stop in the Garden State town on Nov. 15 and pulled a quick pick for her games, lottery officials said over the weekend.
The MTA supervisor in the Big Apple reportedly joked with her coworkers if she won she wouldn’t be coming into work, but forgot to check the numbers until more than a day later.
“I checked the numbers on Monday on the [Lottery’s phone app],” Fiore said in the NJ Lottery press release. “It said ‘Congratulations. You won a million dollars.’”
“I checked again and it said again that I won,” she added.
A stunned Fiore then called home so her husband, Greg, who also works for the MTA on Staten Island as a bus operator, could relay the numbers on the ticket back to her to triple-check.
Her five numbers — 11, 24, 50, 56, and 66 — all matched but the Powerball number was off. Hers was 12 while the number drawn was 16.
“I told him he better not be messing with me,” Fiore said jokingly of her husband of 32 years. “And did we buy real tickets?”
She’s the 39th New Jersey Lottery draw game player this year to win at least $1 million. While winners can remain nameless under state law, she’s happy to boast her big win.
“I like telling people,” Fiore said. “I went to the bank and asked to speak to the manager. I said ‘You know somebody won $1 million here in town? Well, that’s me!’ She was super excited. It’s nice to celebrate.”
The couple’s kids are also excited, Greg said, especially with the holidays right around the corner.
“Our kids…they are happy for us,” Greg said. “But they do know Christmas is coming.”
And while Fiore claimed she would not return to work if she won, that was more wishful thinking than a firm reality — one her husband hoped to take advantage of as well.
“Maybe no more overtime for me,” Greg said.
“Oh, there’s still going to be overtime for you!” Fiore shot back.
The couple are still traveling an hour to work but might have a nice vacation in their future now.
“I was just in shock,” Fiore said. “You wait your whole life for this, and you are still in shock.”