New Jersey man won $573m as final Powerball winner

New Jersey man won $573m as final Powerball winner

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - A New Jersey man has come forward as the third and final winner of the US$448 million (S$573 million) Powerball jackpot after buying the winning ticket at a South Brunswick supermarket, New Jersey lottery officials said.

Mario Scarnici of Monmouth Junction claimed his share of the prize, which amounts to $86 million before taxes. Two of the three winning tickets in the August 7 drawing were sold in the state, according to a New Jersey Lottery statement released on Friday.

He purchased his ticket from the Super Stop & Shop supermarket in South Brunswick Township.

Jose Perez, a night manager at the Stop & Shop, said the winning ticket has been great for business and that employees are thrilled that the winner came forward to claim his prize.

"We were happy first of all that we sold it," said Perez in a telephone interview. "We sold a ticket before but nobody claimed it."

The store received a $30,000 bonus commission for selling the ticket, and will give that money to charity.

According to a report on the CentralJersey.com web site, Scarnici came forward with his two adult sons to claim his prize. He chose the cash option and will get about $62 million after taxes.

Members of a group of 16 Ocean County maintenance workers with a winning ticket will each receive about $3.8 million after taxes. The group, known as Ocean's 16, bought the Powerball numbers at the Acme Markets in Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey.

Scarnici could not be reached for comment, nor could a representative for the state lottery.

Paul White, an engineer from Ham Lake, Minnesota, was the other winner.

The odds of winning the jackpot were about one in 175 million.

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