Common method for picking lottery numbers results in a wild celebration
By Kate Northrop
A North Carolina veteran and his wife had an incredible reaction upon realizing that his fortune cookie-inspired Mega Millions numbers netted him a $4 million prize.
Lottery players commonly look to the tiny piece of paper inside fortune cookies for inspiration in picking their next set of lottery numbers, and one cookie did not disappoint for one North Carolina resident.
Gabriel Fierro of Cornelius, a retired master sergeant who spent 32 years with the Army, had enjoyed his weekly meal from the Red Bowl restaurant in Charlotte with his wife. He pulled out the little slip hiding in his fortune cookie and decided he would put the numbers on it to good use.
"I don't usually play my fortune cookie numbers, but I tried them on a win," Fierro told the North Carolina Lottery.
The veteran jumped online to buy a Mega Millions lottery ticket and added on the Megaplier option for an extra dollar.
Not only did he end up matching all five white balls in Tuesday's drawing to win a $1 million prize, but the 4X Megaplier quadrupled his prize to $4 million, the largest win in the history of Online Play in the state.
"I got an email in the morning, and I just stared at it dumbfounded," Fierro recalled. "I took it and showed it to my wife, and she thought it was an April Fool's joke or maybe a scam."
What followed after the realization that they were instantly $4 million richer was the celebration of a lifetime.
"We started running around the house, screaming like a bunch of banshees," Fierro recounted.
After visiting Lottery headquarters in Raleigh on Thursday to collect his prize, he took home $2,840,401 after federal and state taxes. Retired as a disabled combat veteran who toured in Iraq, the 60-year-old said he planned on investing most of his winnings, but the celebration was far from over.
"We are going to buy some champagne on the way home," he quipped.
The winning numbers in Tuesday's Mega Millions drawing were 4, 19, 39, 42, and 52, with Mega Ball 9. The Megaplier number was 4.
Congratulations and love that a fellow comrade in arms won.
Have a fortune cookie slip sitting right here...will enter it after Jeopardy!
BTW, KY lotto won't cut separate checks for virtual on-line play...we'll cross that bridge when it comes!
I'd like to know what he ordered at the Red Bowl. What is the lucky dinner to have before playing the lottery?
Rotsa Ruck Cat Stew w/ white rice
I don't know but stay away from the #2 Pu-Pu Platter.
It gives me the Turkey Trots every time.
Awe come on rdgrnr...a little Monosodium Glutamate is good for you (not).
aww. congrats.
Right at SIXTY which is technically middle -age, so enjoy some of that new money coming in!
Utilize it wisely, invest for old age (65 to 90s!) so you can sit back,
while enjoying at that time your senior years, at least, without $ financial fret."
Enjoy it, splurge a little.
Wonderful to see this tonight.
I've used fortune cookie numbers a few times and the most I got was $20.
Even so, I'm happy for him and hope he enjoys his winnings.