A group of co-workers who help sick elderly people at an old folks home on Staten Island pooled their money to buy a Powerball ticket that won them $1 million.
“I was shocked. I thought it was a joke and there was a camera somewhere,” said Lucille White, 59, of Great Kills, who rushed upstairs to tell her co-workers at Eger Lutheran Homes and Services.
“I was numb. [I thought] it can’t be true,” she said.
She and eight other women — some of whom had been playing the game together for nearly 20 years — won the jackpot drawn on Oct. 26.
The nine friends played so regularly, they had dubbed themselves “The Fabulous 9.” Six of them work together and three were pals from off the job.
Each of them will take home a lump sum of $69,226.
“I have always said, ‘One day we’re going to win. And two weeks before we won, I said it and we won!” said Stephany Marchese is 61, who volunteers at the home and works as paid switchboard operator.
She plans to spend some of the money on her grandkids and on a vacation “somewhere warm,” she said.
White has other plans. On Tuesday, she said she bought another lottery ticket — this time for the Mega Millions drawing, which is up to a whopping $344 million, the fourth highest ever in New York state.
Other winners, who collected a ceremonial Lotto check on Tuesday include Annette Alexis, Deborah Scalera, and Linda Rizzo and Roseanne Pucciarelli.
“I’m ecstatic,” said Alexis, a nurse at the home, who plans to invest the money.
Eger Lutheran Homes and Services provides residential care, health care and hospice to seniors.