Fortune Cookie Numbers Translate Into Top Lottery Prize for Connecticut Man

ROCKY HILL, CT – According to Connecticut Lottery officials, the fortune cookie spoke to Michael Petro and his Chinese takeout order turned into a $100,000 top prize in the Cash5 game.

Petro, a Terryville resident, played the numbers on a fortune cookie and they were a perfect match to the winning numbers drawn on Sept. 1: 14 – 18 – 22 – 24 – 31.

In total, 3,490 winning tickets were sold statewide, with prizes ranging in value $2 to $100,000 each.

“Chicken wings and fried rice ... Or was it rice pork and vegetables? I forgot,” Petro told lottery officials while trying to remember what he ordered for takeout.

Petro didn’t think anything of it when he decided to play the numbers off his fortune cookie.

“It was just another day," he said.

The winner told Lottery officials about his winning moment.

“I was yelling at the TV watching the drawing, which I recorded, wanting the numbers to pop up,” Petro said with a chuckle. “I didn’t tell anyone for a while but told my sister and she said ‘Congratulations.’”

Petro told lottery officials he was content with holding out on his big win until the New Year and is looking to take some time off.

“I’m comfortable—worth it to wait this long," he said. "I’ll give money to my family and take a cruise somewhere—probably the Caribbean.”

As Petro claimed his prize, he showed Lottery officials the fortune cookie paper with the winning numbers before hiding behind the large ceremonial check for the promotional photo.

Lottery officials said his fortune read, “Just believe it ... Water and oil cannot be mix.”

The Terryville resident isn’t exactly sure what the saying means but he’s planning to hold onto the little piece of paper for more good luck.

For selling the winning ticket, Waterbury CITGO Quick Mar will receive a $1,000 bonus check from the CT Lottery.

The overall odds of winning Cash5 are 1 in 72.1. The chance of winning the top prize is 1 in 324,632.

Photo Credit: CT Lottery