Mother-son team will celebrate with lobster dinner
A Baltimore man and his mom won $1 million playing Powerball with the Maryland Lottery, but the son doesn’t anticipate any lifestyle changes.
After taking a break Oct. 4 to claim the prize, the 51-year-old said he was headed back to work.
“We’re just simple people. This will set us up and give us some in reserve,” he said. Although he claimed the prize and bought the lucky $2 ticket, the winner said his mom is the Lottery enthusiast.
“Mom likes to play and I take care of her,” he said, adding, “that’s the way we were raised.”
The son emigrated to the United States from Cuba in 1995 and his mom followed in 2001. He has been taking care of her – including keeping her stocked in Lottery tickets – ever since.
“She’s doing fine. She’s driving me crazy,” the son said, smiling. His mom did not visit Lottery headquarters to help claim the prize but she will play a major role in determining how to spend the money.
“I gotta wait for her. She’s the boss,” her son said about his plans for the prize.
The lucky pair hit on the Sept. 14 Powerball drawing with a quick-pick ticket, matching the five white balls, but not the Powerball for a second-tier $1 million prize. Since then, he has continued to buy tickets for his mom, and he says that won’t be changing anytime soon.
One of the things the son is sure of is how his mom wants to celebrate. “She wants lobster,” he said.
Sharing in their good fortune is Downtown Amoco gas station at 1100 South Hanover Street in Baltimore. The Lottery retailer picks up a bonus of $2,500 from the Lottery for selling a second-tier Powerball winning ticket.
This is the fifth second-tier winning Powerball ticket sold this year. Two players won $2 million and two others won $1 million. The next Powerball drawing is Wednesday, Oct. 5. The estimated annuity jackpot is $353 million; the estimated cash option is $185.6 million.
