HOWARD BEACH, Queens (PIX11) – A Queens man came forward on Monday to claim a whopping $476 million Mega Millions jackpot.
Johnnie Taylor, 71, was the sole winner of the Mega Millions drawing on April 14. He chose to take the lump sum payment of $157,288,402 after required state and federal taxes.
Taylor said his wife didn’t believe him when he first told her they had the winning ticket. He said he had to go online and show her the matching numbers to prove it.
“It still doesn’t feel real,” he said.
Taylor recently retired from his job as a handyman in Manhattan. He said he plans to use his winnings to travel, buy a new house and replace his Prius with a newer model hybrid vehicle as well as donate to his church, according to New York Lottery.
The winning ticket was sold at the Liberty Beer and Convenience on Liberty Avenue in Ozone Park. The convenience store will receive a $10,000 retailer commission check.
The winning Mega Millions numbers for the April 14 drawing were 23-27-41-48-51, with Mega Ball 22. Taylor’s prize is considered the largest Mega Millions jackpot in New York State since the game launched in the state in 2002, according to New York Lottery.
