Joseph Amorese got the ticket from his father, who lives in New York state.
Amorese had just undergone surgery. A few scratches later on the "USD 7 million Golden Ticket," and he was feeling great. He sent a photo of the ticket to his dad, who agreed that it was a winner.
The 46-year-old Verizon employee then called his wife, a social worker. When he said, "Honey, I think we won USD 7 million," he was met by a long, stunned silence.
The ticket was purchased at a store in New York state.