Long Island Waitress Wins Lottery Thanks to Winter Storm

Patricia Eisel, single mother of three and waitress at the Saloon in Long Island, was forced to cancel a trip to her native Ireland over the holidays due to the weather. After pulling a few dollars together for a lottery ticket, she discovered that she won $21.5 million in the January 5th drawing. She opted for the lump sum payment and will receive $7.9 million after taxes. 

Eisel plans to buy a home with a yard, a dog for her kids, and take them to Disneyland. She thinks of her boss and customers as her family and will continue serving at the Saloon even if she is the richest person there.  

See Hugh Collins, Lucky Waitress Thanks Winter Storms for $21M Lottery Win, aolnews.com, Jan. 28, 2011.

Special thanks to David S. Luber (Attorney at law, Florida Probate Attorney Wills and Estates Law Firm) for bringing this article to my attention.