NEW YORK, NY — It took 8,500 attempts, but it finally paid off.
Rigoberto Mejia became the New York Lottery's latest winner, claiming $7 million in the Golden Ticket scratch off game.
His big win came 12 years since the Staten Island resident started playing twice every day.
For the past two years, Mejia bought two scratch-off tickets for $25 each during his lunch break from working at the small construction company he owns. For the 10 years before that, he had also bought two tickets per day, spending $10 to $20 per ticket.
Over the years he said he went for "the biggest prize, always." But he never won big — until Nov. 30.
He scratched his first of two cards and won $40. Then he scratched the second one, matched his numbers and realized his life had just changed.
"I was thinking maybe it was a dream," he said.
Mejia didn't go back to work that day. Instead he went home and showed the winning ticket to his wife.
Together they researched what to do with a winning ticket on the New York Lottery website and swiftly wrote his name on the back of the ticket before calling to claim the winnings.
"I can't believe it," he said. "I'm still shocked."
Family and friends around New York might be surprised to see his face on the evening news with New York Lottery's Yolanda Vega. His wife was the only person he'd told before Wednesday's public announcement.
Not even his three daughters knew about their father's newfound fortune.
He said he's not yet sure what to do with the money, but said he hopes to buy a new house and expand his construction business.
He decided to collect his winnings as a lump sum, taking $4,361,280 home after required withholdings.
According to a statement from the New York Lottery, Mejia is the 135th winner of $1,000,000 or more in 2015.
