Connecticut resident Michael Lazdauskas had discovered a calling, and then a girlfriend, in Napanoch. But several weeks ago, his very good fortune grew by $1 million.
On Jan. 30, the unemployed casino worker and Shanley Hotel volunteer played $6 on three sets of Powerball numbers at James’ General Shop on Principal Street.
The following day, he discovered the final set of 5 numbers were winners, earning him second prize.
Lazdauskas, accompanied by his girlfriend, Nancy Abril, returned to James’ on Friday to accept his winnings from New York Lottery representative, Gretchen Dizer.
The winnings, Lazdauskas stated, come just as he is arranging to relocate from New London to Napanoch, a hamlet in Ulster County.
“The only issue that is going to change is, rather than renting an apartment, now I am going to purchase a residence,” mentioned Lsazdauskas, 41, who received a $661,800 lump-sum payment. “This win couldn’t have come at a better time.”
In September, Lazdauskas was laid off from the Mohegan Sun casino in Connecticut, exactly where he had started as a dealer and became a game supervisor.
Twenty years ago, Lazdauskas created an interest inside the paranormal. By 2009, that interest led him to the Shanley Hotel in Napanoch, and he began commuting three hours no less than once per week to volunteer at the allegedly haunted hotel.
While not significantly of a casino gambler, Lazdauskas did begin getting Powerball tickets throughout his trips towards the Shanley, that is next door to James’ Common Shop. “If I lost $100, I was mad at myself,” he said of casino gambling.
Shop owner James Dolaway had to fend off clients wanting to understand the identity from the winner prior to Friday’s announcement. Other folks wanted to understand if he shared within the winnings. He didn’t, but Dolaway is winning in other methods.
“It has really increased the sales,” he stated. “I’ve seen shoppers in here I’ve never ever seen ahead of.”
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