Ansonia man wins $20,000 in Lottery scratch-off game

By Jean Falbo-Sosnovich
Register Correspondent

ANSONIA >> Little did resident and volunteer firefighter Martin J. Passander know that when he walked into the Main Street Shell station earlier this week, he would walk out $20,000 richer.

Passander purchased a scratch-off Lottery ticket for $20 at the Shell station, located at 696 Main St., the other day. He got the surprise of a lifetime when the 20X Cash scratch game ticket he rubbed off with a coin landed him a whopping $20,000 payday.

“I saw the ‘20X’ symbol and then scratched away the prize area — it was $1,000,” Passander said in a press release from CT Lottery. ”That’s $20,000! I almost died. I’ve won (smaller) prizes before, but nothing like this had ever happened to me. I was in disbelief!”

Passander, who has been employed as a manufacturing machinist at Bic in Milford for more than 35 years, told lottery officials he was “tongue-tied” and “utterly speechless” when he learned he scored as the game’s top winner.

Read more here.

It's better to be lucky than good

That expression goes back quite a few years, I'm sure.

But I suppose the Seymour couple who won the $60 million Powerball jackpot June 23 is feeling pretty lucky, and pretty good.

Noel and Fredda Peel picked up their winnings Tuesday at lottery headquarters.
 
Taken in a lump sum, their winning is worth $39,814,000 after taxes.


Wow. I can't even imagine.

Even though I write for a newspaper, I'm not sure if I'd want to be interviewed about such a huge win. Nor would I want my name released or my photo taken!
I'm pretty sure I'd just want to get out of Dodge for awhile.


What would you do with all that money? It would be wonderful to not have to worry about paying bills any more, wouldn't it?

Do you have a favorite charity you would want to help with some of your winnings?

I have a few that would be beneficiaries if I ever was lucky enough to have such largesse.

Congratulations to the Peels. Enjoy!