Retired Brooklyn bus driver hits $7M Cash4Life jackpot

Jan 29, 2015, 8:47 am (33 comments)

New York Lottery

The next stop for this retired Brooklyn bus driver is Easy Street.

Frederick McClendon claimed his $7 million prize Tuesday in the New York Lottery's Cash4Life draw game.

"I usually play the Powerball or Mega Millions games," said McClendon, who says he spent 15 years driving a bus in Brooklyn and the Bronx. "Instinct told me to buy a Cash4Life ticket this time."

McClendon said he bought his ticket to a bright new future on Nov. 24 when he walked into MX Wines & Spirits in Halsey St. in Brooklyn.

"Just happened to buy a Quick Pick," he said. "I cried. My first reaction was, I cried. Tears of joy."

A few days after the drawing, the wine store clerk told him someone bought the top-prize ticket. He checked his ticket and realized he was the lucky winner.

"I checked my ticket right in the store," said McClendon, who said he has bought tickets there off and on for many years.

McClendon said his family didn't buy his story right away.

"They didn't believe me," he said while standing beside his lawyer. "It's just like, you're lying."

Not anymore.

McClendon, who plans to take a lump sum payment that amounts to $4.3 million after withholdings, said he plans to help his family and put aside some college money for his kids.

"It's about my family," he said. "I love my family."

Asked if he'll take public transportation again, McClendon smiled and said, "I have to, but I'd rather not discuss the reasons why."

McClendon is the 160th New Yorker to claim a prize of $1 million or more from 2014 drawings.

Lottery officials say there is still another $7 million Cash4Life winner out there who purchased the ticket in July at the Milky Way Deli on Ralph St. in Canarsie, Brooklyn — and has not collected his or her prize money.

Cash4Life is a multi-state game operated by the New York and New Jersey lotteries.  Drawings are held Monday and Thursday at 8:57 pm.

News story photo(Click to display full-size in gallery)

Thanks to Leland for the tip.

Daily News, Lottery Post Staff

Comments

PrinceRene

Congratulations Mr. McClendon.

IPlayWeekly's avatarIPlayWeekly

Big time congrats

haymaker's avatarhaymaker

Ralph Kramden : Hey Alice, just wait til you see how this furniture looks in a park ave apartment ! LOL

maringoman's avatarmaringoman

Nice win to end 2014.

sweetie7398's avatarsweetie7398

Quote: Originally posted by maringoman on Jan 29, 2015

Nice win to end 2014.

Definitely.  This game's first drawing is tonight in South Carolina.

sweetie7398's avatarsweetie7398

Quote: Originally posted by sweetie7398 on Jan 29, 2015

Definitely.  This game's first drawing is tonight in South Carolina.

The game is called Lucky 4 life. I guess it's the same concept, just a different name.

maringoman's avatarmaringoman

Quote: Originally posted by sweetie7398 on Jan 29, 2015

The game is called Lucky 4 life. I guess it's the same concept, just a different name.

Thumbs Up Good luck. 

I hit small prizes on this game more often than I do on the 2 big games

Technut's avatarTechnut

Good for Mr. McClendon glad to see another guy hit easy street. (c8

shadowlady's avatarshadowlady

Congratulations to the lucky winner.

DDOH937's avatarDDOH937

Good for you man, be wise, relax and try to enjoy. Happy for you brother. Be smart and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!!

jack27

Im not buying it. The lottery is not real.

ThatScaryChick's avatarThatScaryChick

Quote: Originally posted by jack27 on Jan 29, 2015

Im not buying it. The lottery is not real.

How so?

 

Congrats to Frederick McClendon on his nice win! Cheers

jack27

Quote: Originally posted by ThatScaryChick on Jan 29, 2015

How so?

 

Congrats to Frederick McClendon on his nice win! Cheers

They hire actors and pay them a small amount to appear as winners with the promise that he or she wont open their mouth to talk about it or they will be killed if they expose the truth.

rcbbuckeye's avatarrcbbuckeye

Quote: Originally posted by jack27 on Jan 29, 2015

They hire actors and pay them a small amount to appear as winners with the promise that he or she wont open their mouth to talk about it or they will be killed if they expose the truth.

Really?

You create an account just to log on and spill your crap?

LOL. You are simply a troll. Now do something constructive like clean your mom and dad's basement you're living in.

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