Long Island Woman Wins $3 Million Scratch-Off Jackpot

A woman from Elmont is now a few million dollars richer after winning big on a New York Lottery scratch-off ticket.

Leelawatie Pittam, 52, a loss-prevention specialist for BJ's Wholesale, almost didn’t buy her $3 million-winning "50X the Money" scratch-off ticket, but a last-minute decision to buy it definitely paid off. Pittam won the jackpot, making her Long Island's newest lottery millionaire.

"I followed my normal routine after work. I stopped for gas and my lottery tickets," Pittam explained. "I bought four tickets to start. There was one ticket left on the roll so I decided spend the extra $10 and buy it. That’s the one that turned out to be the winner."

Pittam scratched the ticket in the store and made quite a scene when she realized she won the jackpot. "I screamed and was carrying on. I probably gave someone in the store a heart attack," she joked.

Pittam purchased her ticket at the Mobil Mart on Hempstead Turnpike in Elmont. She opted to receive her prize as a one-time lump sum payment totaling $1,568,466 after required withholdings.

"I plan to use the money to retire early and just continue living life," she said.

Pittam's jackpot makes her the 86th New York Lottery player to claim a prize of $1 million or more this year.

Photo: New York Lottery