‘Lucky’ NYC convenience store sold $476 million Mega Millions ticket

Subway

Of Joaquin Contreras and Rich Calder

April 15, 2023 | 17:25

There̵[ads1]7;s a new King of Queens!

A mystery Mega Millions ticket holder struck gold at a Queens convenience store after matching all six numbers to win the lottery’s $476 million jackpot — and employees and customers there are now hoping some of the new tycoon’s luck will rub off on them .

“We feel very happy. We’re excited, and hopefully we’ll sell more winning tickets,” Deepak Parek, a 42-year-old clerk at Liberty Beer & Convenience in Ozone Park, said Saturday.

Rudy Pena, of Ozone Park, said he plays lottery games at Liberty Beer daily and hopes the store stays hot.

“I think so [improves my] chances, absolutely!” he boasted.

“Someone also told me at work that someone won the Mega here and I couldn’t believe it.”

Rohit Patel, who is a business partner of the store’s owner, called the store “lucky” and added “it’s a good thing that someone won big in New York.”

The winning numbers for Friday night’s draw were 23, 27, 41, 48 and 51 with the Mega Ball of 22.

Megaplier was 2x.

The top prize is the 13th largest in lottery history, according to the New York Lottery.

The cash option is estimated at $253.1 million; the convenience store will receive $10,000 for selling the ticket.

Patel and Pena didn’t know who won the huge jackpot, but Patel said he had a similar experience five years ago when a Midtown store he then managed sold a winning Take5 ticket.

James Carlton, 36, of Brooklyn, predicted the winner’s “life has changed overnight” because “they will be able to do things now that they weren’t able to.”

“They probably don’t want anyone else to know because all the people they went to school with and stuff will come out to ask and say they were friends,” Carlton said.

He also recited his own plan for how to use such a large score.

“If I win, I would change my whole family’s life and start a couple of businesses, travel. I just want to enjoy life and give back,” he said.

Millionaire hopefuls have a 1-in-302,575,350 chance of hitting the Mega Millions jackpot, according to the lottery.

It is Mega Millions’ first jackpot winner since a $31 million winning ticket was sold in Massachusetts on January 31.

The next draw is set for April 18 with the current starting pot set at $20 million.