Thread: Venezuela resident wins huge Florida Lotto jackpot

Venezuela resident wins huge Florida Lotto jackpot
posted by Gary Taylor on Jun 17, 2008 10:55:54 AM

I hear it all the time: People complaining that the Florida Lottery jackpots are always won by someone in Miami. I hear it so much that when I visit Miami I buy some extra tickets just hoping the luck will rub off.

So it shouldn't have surprised me when the recent $36 million inning ticket was sold in Miami Beach. It was the 165th time a Lotto Jackpot winning ticket was sold in Miami-Dade County. That's less than 20 percent of the more than 930 jackpot winners sold since 1988.

But this time the money is heading either farther south.

The prize was claimed by 77-year-old Salvatore C. DiStefano of Caracas, Venezuela. DiStefano opted for the lump-sum payment of $20,036,412.

Look for a big grin on the faces of the folks at Lee-Ann Drug, where he bought the ticket. They received a $50,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket.

The winning numbers were:

24 - 41 - 42 - 46 - 47 - 52

DiStefano arrived at Lottery headquarters in Tallahassee with his son who bought the ticket with him. According to DiStefano, he likes to stop and play Lotto when he goes by a convenience store. He always buys Quick Pick tickets and this ticket was the lucky one. After working hard all his life, he says being a lottery winner is something he is still trying to get use to.

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/news_l ... resid.html

I may be a little slow, but i'm missing something here. Does this guy commute back and forth from Venezuela to Miami or something on a regular basis to purchase lottery tickets?

Unbelievable. So there goes $20 million out of our money supply on a $1 investment.

Our country has gone insane.

ITS UNBELIEVABLE THAT A NON-CITIZEN WOULD WIN A LOTTERY THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BENEFIT THE STATE OF FLORIDA- NOT VENEZUELA!

THEY OUGHT TO BE DISQUALIFIED.

The prize was claimed by 77-year-old Salvatore C. DiStefano of Caracas, Venezuela. DiStefano opted for the lump-sum payment of $20,036,412.

DiStefano arrived at Lottery headquarters in Tallahassee with his son who bought the ticket with him.

What type of visa does Salvatore C. DiStefano and his son have--or is his son a citizen?

Will future taxes be paid to Venezuela or the United States?

Originally Posted by MyAmerica

The prize was claimed by 77-year-old Salvatore C. DiStefano of Caracas, Venezuela. DiStefano opted for the lump-sum payment of $20,036,412.

DiStefano arrived at Lottery headquarters in Tallahassee with his son who bought the ticket with him.

What type of visa does Salvatore C. DiStefano and his son have--or is his son a citizen?

Will future taxes be paid to Venezuela or the United States?

I suspect his son is a citizen, who conveniently, bought the ticket with him. I would also guess the father has some type of visa which is allowing him to go back and forth on a regular basis.

Just an odd story...