Kensington Woman Wins 'Lucky for Life' Lottery

What’s the best way to celebrate the discovery of a “Lucky for Life” prize winning lottery ticket in your purse?

With some take-out food for dinner and a bottle of champagne, of course, which is just what Kimberly Gianoni of the Kensington section of Berlin and her family did after learning her Lucky numbers were worth $25,000 a year, every year FOR LIFE.

“I scanned my ticket in the Ticket Checker and it said, ‘Congratulations, you won the second prize,’ I couldn’t believe it,” Gianoni told lottery officials. “As soon as I left the store, I called my husband and told him to check the numbers again on the lottery’s website. I’ve been playing these numbers a long time, ever since the game began.”

Gianoni’s Lucky for Life ticket for the April 7 drawing missed the Lucky Ball number, 7, but matched five of the winning numbers drawn; 1 - 2 - 4 - 7 - 20, for the game’s $25,000 a year for life 2nd prize. Across New England, 55,542 winning Lucky for Life tickets were purchased for that drawing including 18,056 tickets in Connecticut.

The minimum guaranteed amount a second prize Lucky for Life “Annuity” winner could receive is $500,000 ($25,000 a year for 20 years), but winners who live longer than 20 years will receive prize payments for the remainder of their natural life.

On April 11, Kimberly and her husband, Pete, opted to collect her $25,000 a year for life second prize in a one-time cash lump-sum of $390,000 (value before taxes).  “It’s going to feel great to pay off all our bills and to put the rest away for retirement,” said Gianoni.

Gianoni’s lucky match brings the total number of lifetime wins in New England to 20, including seven wins in Connecticut alone, since September 2013.

For selling Gianoni her prize winning ticket, 7-Eleven Store, located at 200 Riverside Ave. in Bristol, will receive a $2,500 bonus check from the CT Lottery.

CT’s previous Lucky for Life second prize win occurred on Feb. 27.  The winning ticket, sold in New Haven County, has yet to be claimed.  The winning numbers for that date were 8-11-17-24-43 with the Lucky Ball number, 30.