Joseph Lombardi from Hampstead is planning a special family trip to Hawaii after winning $50,000 playing the Triple Red 777s scratch-off.
He may not have been the $1 million top prize won on the Triple Red 777s scratch-off, but a Carroll County man is still very excited about his $50,000 second-tier win. He was playing Keno with his family when providence led him to play the $20 Triple Red 777s game.
Joseph Lombardi was having lunch with his daughter and son-in-law last week enjoying his meal and playing a bit of Keno, but wasn’t having the best of luck with the game that day. After lunch, he headed home, but he was feeling like his luck might change. So, he went to Main Street Liquors and played a bit more of Keno and purchased three scratch-off games, a $20, $30 and a $50 ticket. He took them home to play where he used a special item to scratch the tickets.
“My wife (Kathy) passed away five years ago, but I still have her keys that has a St. Jude key chain on it,” he said June 1 when he claimed the prize.
“I looked at St. Jude and said, ‘Give me one for Kathy.’”
St. Jude must have been listening because when he scanned the $20 scratch-off, a $50,000 prize was revealed. Joseph just stared at the ticket in disbelief and proceeded to scratch the entire game revealing numerous “7” symbols.
“I started adding up the amounts and it came to $50,000,” he said. Echoing an old Maryland Lottery advertisement, he said, “That’s a lotta, lotta money!”
The Navy Veteran and retired Baltimore City police officer reports he also won $100 on the $50 scratch-off.
Joseph sent a text to his daughters to share the good news joking that he needed help adding up his winnings. One of his daughters accompanied him to claim the prize. She said, as a family, they enjoy playing Lottery together.
“It’s our form of entertainment and it’s really fun when you win too,” she said.
The winner plans to take his family on a trip to Hawaii using some of the $50,000 win. He said he and his wife often traveled to Hawaii and it’s a special place for his family to visit.
“The year 2028 would have been our 60th wedding anniversary,” he said. “I think that will be the perfect time to go.”
The Carroll County resident purchased the Triple Red 777s ticket at Main Street Liquors at 907 South Main Street in Hampstead. The game, launched in May, still has all five $1 million top prizes remaining unclaimed. Joseph nabbed the first $50,000 second-tier prize, there are now five of those remaining. In addition, also up for grabs are 51 $10,000 prizes and thousands of prizes ranging from $20 to $5,000.
