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Man Destroys East Harlem Deli Because Lotto Machine Wasn't Working

By Gustavo Solis | May 15, 2015 8:37am | Updated on May 15, 2015 5:37pm
 A 38-year-old man destroyed an East Harlem deli because their lotto machine wasn't working.
Harlem Deli Attack
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EAST HARLEM — He wanted to see if he was a winner.

Frustrated numbers player, Ron Sawney, 38, was arrested after he tore apart a neighborhood bodega, attacked two employees and damaged the owner's minivan after the lottery machine seized up and couldn't scan his ticket, according to employees and court records.

Sawney walked into Harlem Deli at 63 East 125th Street about 7 p.m. on May 7 and went straight for the lotto machine to see if he won the $126 million jackpot, according to the police and employees.

“He wanted to see if he was a winner,” said an employee who declined to give his name because the building’s landlord asked him not to speak with the press. “That machine was frozen there’s nothing we could do about it and he got upset.”

When Sawney became agitated, Alex, the deli’s manager, grabbed a baseball bat from behind the counter and tried to hit Sawney with it, but the gambler ripped the bat away, punched him in the face, said the manager, who only gave his first name.

The manager ducked behind the counter as Sawney smashed the lotto machine, two of the deli’s glass display cases and trashed the store.

Alex and another employee were punched in the face and injured their legs during the attack, according to the criminal complaint.

The other employee was frightened when Sawney — 6-foot-2, 210 pounds — began walking toward him.

“I ran away, I didn’t know if he was going to bash my head in,” he said.

After smashing the deli, Sawney headed outside toward the deli owner’s minivan, prosecutors said.

He shattered the front windshield and front passenger side window, according to the complaint.

He was charged and pleaded guilty to a criminal mischief charge Wednesday and was sentenced to 15 days in jail, court records show.

Sawney's attorney was not immediately available to comment.

Between the deli and the car the damage added up to more than $15,000. Insurance should cover most of it, the lotto machine was replaced in less than an hour, Alex said.

“We have good credit with them,” he added.

On May 8, the Mega Jackpot was up to $126 million. There were no winners, according to the New York Lottery.