Rory Morris and Gabriella Smarandache's lives changed with a simple scratch of the penny Thursday.
Each rake of the coin turned a single lottery ticket into a million-dollar prize and the young area couple into disbelieving winners.
Sitting in Smarandache's 2003 Grand Am, Morris, an Englewood resident, wiped away the silver coding to the Florida Lottery's "$1,000,000 Cash Spectacular" scratch-off ticket he had just purchased at the North Port Shell station.
Scratching off a picture of a money bag in the row of winning icons, the couple knew they at least had a shot of winning. Scratching off a second picture of a money bag, the couple realized a dream only seven other people in Florida have felt.
"I thought I was dreaming at first," said Smarandache, 24. "I had to go in and double-check."
The two won the "$1,000,000 Cash Spectacular" top prize. They elected Friday for the lump sum of $681,750, rather than $50,000 annually over a 20-year period.
But it took a while for the pair to realize their luck.
Soon after revealing the symbols, the two re-entered the Shell station, 13280 Tamiami Trail, and the clerk confirmed the winning ticket. Their quick stop at the gas station for cigarettes and lottery tickets had turned into a life-altering trip.
"At first I thought we had only won $50,000," Morris said. "I wanted to jump out of the car."
But the North Port resident said she and Morris, 19, would keep their jobs at PGT Technologies, a window glass factory in Venice. That's where the couple met about six months ago.
The game, available at 11,600 Florida Lottery retail locations, offers more than $90 million in prizes, including 120 prizes worth $10,000.
"When you win, you are going to win quite a bit," said Florida Lottery spokesman Alfred Bea.
Bea said the "$1,000,000 Cash Spectacular" is one of the state lottery's more popular games, but added he didn't know the exact number of people who play daily. Tickets cost $10.
NY needs a scratch game like that ($1 million w/cash option, or $1 million lump sum.) NY had a "Tax-Free Million" from 1996-2000; the top prize was $1 million lump sum AFTER withholdings.
>NY needs a scratch game like that ($1 million w/cash option, or $1 million lump sum.) NY had a "Tax-Free Million" from 1996-2000; the top prize was $1 million lump sum AFTER withholdings.
That's the only way you would be a real millionaire. I believe they have to give about $1,666,666 to get a million after taxes.