Astoria Man Is $105 Million Lottery Winner

Gilberto Bueno and his wife, Nelsy Peña, celebrate winning the $105 million Mega Ball Lottery drawing with Mr. Met at Shea Stadium.

On Friday April 13, officials of the New York Lottery and their Queens Lottery partners, the New York Mets, announced the winner of the recent New York State Mega Millions at a ceremony at Shea Stadium attended by Mr. Met, Lottery Mega Ball staff of the New York State Lottery, the winner's family and members of the press.

Astoria resident Gilberto Bueno, father of one daughter and a stockman at a local Key Food in Astoria, was the $105 million Mega Ball winner. The prize check was presented to Bueno and his wife, Nelsy Peña, at a special ceremony in the left field corner of Shea Stadium. Bueno and Peña emigrated from the Dominican Republic 17 years ago and chose Astoria as the place to raise their daughter and a number of foster children. Bueno is the 12th winner to claim a New York Mega Millions prize. His $105 million check was the third largest prize in Mega Million Lottery history. The largest jackpot paid out by the New York State Lottery was $149 million on Nov. 19, 2004.

Jitendra Doschi, owner of The Magazine Store, where the winning ticket was sold, shown with store employees and Mega Millions staff and Mega Millions lottery winners Jitendra Doschi a family member and Nelsy Peña, with a check for $105 million at a separate ceremony at Shea Stadium.

When asked what the family will do with the $105 Million prize, Peña said with a big smile, "I'd like to own a home in the country. Now we can buy our dream house."

Bueno admitted he is a diehard Mets fan and said, "Now we can afford season tickets to see the Mets." He explained that he has been purchasing New York State Lotto and Mega Millions games for years, always playing the same numbers, including their favorite, 6. Good Friday, April 6, was a religious holiday for Bueno, who went to The Magazine Store on 31st Avenue and Ditmars Boulevard in Astoria and made his purchase. The next morning he checked the winning numbers and could not believe his eyes. He woke his wife and told her that they had won the Mega Millions lottery. After reviewing the numbers together, they called their daughter, who lives in Las Vegas with the couple's two grandchildren, to announce their good fortune.

Jitendra Doschi, owner of The Magazine Store, where the winning ticket was sold, received a check for $10,000 at a separate ceremony at Shea Stadium just a few feet from where Gilberto Bueno received his $105 million check. The $10,000 was a bonus in addition to the 6 percent commission Lottery vendors earn on the sale of each lottery ticket. The New York State Lottery announced that commissions earned by lottery retailers for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2006 totaled $389 million.

In addition to winning the Mega Ball Lotto drawing, Bueno was invited to throw out the first pitch before the Mets-Nationals game at Shea Stadium last Friday night, April 13.

Since the New York State Lottery began in 1996 as the result of a proposition vote by New York State voters it has generated more than $30 billion in revenue to help support education statewide, including a record $2.2 billion in fiscal 2005- 2006 on revenues of $6.8 billion.

- Dan Miller