Thread: Lottery winner Florencio Guaman to bring wife, 8 kids from E

Hagen for NewsFlorencio Guaman of Jackson Heights grins with his million-dollar New York Lottery ticket. He will use the money to reunite his family, who he hasn't seen in 15 years.
Money may not buy happiness, but it can sure help bring a family together.

A Queens construction worker who just won $1 million in the New York State lottery plans to use the cash to bring his wife and eight children here from Ecuador.

"This is the best Christmas present," said Florencio Guaman, 64, of Jackson Heights, who hasn't seen his family in 15 years.

"I just remember their faces vaguely," he said during a ceremony at Trump Wollman Rink in Central Park Monday. "I even began forgetting about their birthdays. I left them behind when they were children and now they are grown men and women.

"Some of them have children of their own," he said.

As soon as Guaman won the scratchoff New York Black on Nov. 23 during a stop at the K&L Dairy Farm store on 37th Ave. in Flushing, Queens, he knew right away what he would do with his winnings.

"I scratched the ticket and showed it to my friend, the clerk and we both started jumping around," he said. "I began dreaming. Maybe I don't have to just speak on the phone anymore."

Guaman left his native Azogues in Ecuador when his oldest children were teenagers. Now, they are in their early 30s.

"It has been very difficult for me, to be so far away," he said.

Guaman's immigration documents do not allow him to leave the country, so he said he will bring his family here soon for a visit on tourist visas.

"All I could do here is make sure they have what they need. But it has been many years," he said. "I want to see my children and my wife. I love America. I want them to see America."

Asked to name his children after a decade and a half, Guaman thought for a second and started counting his fingers.

"Patricio, Marta, Ana Lucia, Maria, Monica, Cristina, Luis ... and Edison."

"But don't ask me who is the oldest or youngest," he said, laughing. "I can't remember."

Guaman will receive $31,191 for the next 20 years after taxes.

Other New York City lottery winners included Alex Hernandez, a Staten Island mechanic who won $1 million after buying a Sweet Million ticket, and Gene Futerman, a Queens cab driver from Russia who won $3 million playing the Money ticket scratchoff.

Walking away with his giant check, Futerman, a father of two, also won a marriage proposal from tourist Lorraine Suankum, 44, of Honolulu.

"You want to get married?" shouted Suankum. "I love you, Gene!"

esandoval@nydailynews.com

Read more:
http://tinyurl.com/yesoafm


I posted to the comments:

ratbstard
10:13:46 AM
Dec 15, 2009

"Guaman's immigration documents do not allow him to leave the country" Of course this PC rag wouldn't simply state he is an ILLEGL ALIEN! Now he is planning to bring his extended family so they too can milk American taxpayers and this writer thinks that is just heartwarming. Is it any wonder middle class Americans are fleeing this once great city?

Many other good comments there.

He should be inelligible for the lottery winnings if he is here Illegaly. The lottery is for residents and legal visitors to NY (or any state)

this idiot thinks he can now get citizenship for his wife, 8 kids and they're kids which will end up costing American Tax Payers 100 times that 1 Million dollars he won, school, medical, emergency dental, college if the dream act passes

and when that 1 million runs out, Welfare, W.I.C, HUD housing and Welfare for the next generation and the next and the next and the next... deport NOW

Want to bet the family on tourist visas will never go home.

Why doesn't he go home? I mean, if he's only here to work...

I don't believe foreign nationals are eligible to win the Texas loto.

If he "can't leave" he has most likely applied for citizenship.

Dixie

arrest and deport this man.

since when do immigration documents NOT allow someone to leave the country. thats insane

Originally Posted by jamesw62

since when do immigration documents NOT allow someone to leave the country. thats insane

Since the only document is a tourist visa that expired over 14 years ago. He could leave but never come back.

This article is a demonstration of how IAs must hide in the shadows!

I love NY but...

If you click the source link now the comment section has been deleted, so I must deduce that when the comments run contrary to the liberal slant of the Daily Snooze they just end the debate.