Winning scratch-off ticket bought at Delta Sonic Car Wash in DeWitt
By Lauren Young
Staff Writer
On April 30, one Minoa banker became a millionaire on his lunch break.
After buying a drink and some scratch-off tickets — one of which was a “50X The Money” scratch-game — at the Delta Sonic Car Wash in DeWitt, George Shiomos, 49, drove back to work and scratched the ticket off in his office.
“I was shocked,” he said when he read the word “JACKPOT” on his ticket.
Immediately, he returned to that same Delta Sonic to double-check its validity with a machine — to which it identified him as, indeed, a winner.
“I called my wife to tell her but she didn’t believe me,” he said. “She thought I was just messing with her.”
On Thursday, June 7, Shiomos returned to that fateful Delta Sonic Car Wash on 3439 Erie Boulevard East where he bought that ticket, and was presented with a $3 million check from New York Lottery Spokeswoman Yolanda Vega.
Shiomos chose to receive his $3 million prize in annual payments — or $100,770 a year for the next 20 years after required withholdings.
When Vega asked Shiomos how those yearly payments sound, he jokingly said they “sound good.”
“It’s just shocking, I can’t believe it,” said Shiomos.
But even after winning one week ago, Shiomos said he’s still “in shock” and has no extravagant plans on how to spend his fortune.
Shiomos said he plans to use the money to pay bills and pay for his three children’s college educations — one whom is currently attending Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) — and maybe a trip to Disney World in the upcoming future.
Even after becoming a millionaire during his lunch time, Shiomos still went back to the office to finish his work day.
“Work is work, you gotta work,” he said.
After coming home to show his wife the ticket in person, he said she was also “in shock” and “couldn’t believe it too.”
When Shiomos and his wife visited the lottery service center in Syracuse and were congratulated by the workers, that’s when Shiomos said “it really sunk in.”
Shiomos is an occasional lottery player who mostly likes to play scratch-off games, and choose “50X The Money” because he likes trying new scratch-offs.
Described as “a humble man,” Shiomos’s close cousin Effie, who said they’re like “brother and sister,” immediately texted him after hearing the news from another family member.
“I think it’s the best,” she said. “It couldn’t have happened to a better person.”
But his cousin wasn’t the only one Shiomos didn’t tell right away; in fact, he still hasn’t told some of his close friends in an effort to maintain his low profile.
When asked if it has been difficult keeping a secret like this one from friends, he said, “Yes, yes it is.”
Minoa Mayor Bill Brazill found out about his constituents’ good luck via a news alert, and within seconds, his cell phone was ringing, and has been for the past two days.
“Right after that, my phone didn’t stop ringing,” said Brazill. “Everyone kept asking me who it was, but I only knew as much as they did.”
Brazill congratulated Shiomos on his prize on Thursday and told him how excited the village is for him.
“It’s been the big buzz in Minoa for the past two days,” said Brazill.
Since the beginning of this year, Shiomos has been the 54th New York Lottery player to claim a prize totaling $1 million or more.
