Sometimes, good things happen to good people. New York City firefighter, Carmelo Mercado, was forced into retirement after suffering lung ailments from his time working at ground zero after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
On July 2nd, Mercado, 63, received the $5 million top prize from a Cash X100 scratch-off lottery ticket.
“I’m now a part of the New York lottery family,” Mercado said at a news conference.
Mercado’s career ended after 9/11 because of health problems that continue to affect him, he said. He now devotes his time to being a father to his four children, including a 10-year-old daughter.
He has two daughters and two sons and spends most of his days with his youngest daughter; he plans to buy her 10 “American Girl” dolls.
“Everything is beautiful now,” he said.
Mercado is a regular New York lottery player. In May, he decided to try the Cash X100 game after a friend told him it could bring him luck.
Mercado said he bought one ticket and lost.
The next ticket in the batch was number 25, the inverse of his birth year. He decided to try his luck. He scratched on the second ticket to reveal a “500,” and then gradually more commas, eventually he realized that the number was “5,000,000.”
“I said, ‘Holy mackerel, that looks like $5 million,” he recalled.
He will receive a check totaling $3,309,000 after the government takes its cut.
Mercado said the first thing he thought after discovering he had won was “freedom.”
“I will certainly help out my family and this year’s Christmas presents will be a little bigger than last year’s,” he said. “But I’m really excited to buy a summer house at Disney. We go as a family every year and it will be nice not to have to rent anymore.“
Mercado isn’t holding back; he also hopes to take his family on a Caribbean cruise.
“I’m just pacing myself,” he said. “I’m still in shock.” Good for him, even if the government hasn’t been looking after him, as it’s too busy stealing his money, he should be able to take care of himself and his family now. That Disney summer house sounds awesome, but still, he might want to dial back on the spending a little…
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Exactly was thinking the same.
Why buy? It gives so much more freedom to rent!
He can just rent a 5 star hut this year and still safe a lot of money ond worry about the next crisis who is lurking around the corner.
The only good thing about owning a house is it will survive a financial crisis, you just gotta stay in it for 5-10 years until the price have risen again.
A valuta may not survive a financial crisis on the other side, so your money in the bank may be useless if the dollar is worthless tomorrow.
If I was him I would move out of the USA as fast I could.
Then buy a farm/some land and live there for the rest of my life with my lovely family.
If I moved to sweeden as an example I would buy a nice big house with a lot of land with forest on. Forest is a investment nearly as good as gold. Same with land in it self. Sweden is beautiful and nice people.
A place to rise kids up!
And Sweden fear noone and is controlled by noone.
Sweden give the F finger to EU, USA and Russia.