SEPTA Employees Win $107.5 Million Powerball Jackpot

Forty-eight SEPTA employees will share a $107.5 million jackpot after winning the Powerball Lottery on April 25.

One SEPTA worker, Bryant Vaders, purchased 120 quick-picked Powerball tickets during his lunch break for his office lottery pool, according to a press release on the Pennsylvania Lottery Web site. The employees—also known as SEPTA 48—always put money into an office lottery pool when the jackpot is over $100 million.

On May 4, Lottery Executive Director Todd Rucci presented a ceremonial check for $107,533,278.27 to the SEPTA employees, who elected to take the cash value of the jackpot. Each winner will get roughly $2.2 million, less federal withholding, according to the press release.

Vaders, who bought the tickets, said the group tries to go to different retailers to purchase tickets. The winning ticket was purchased at Newsstand at the Gallery, located at Ninth and Market streets in Philadelphia. The ticket matched all five white balls, 04-25-29-34-43, and the red Powerball, 29, to win the third-largest Pennsylvania Lottery prize ever awarded, the release said.

“I was really busy when I got a call from Bryant that the winning ticket was sold at the Gallery,” said Pamela Schurgot, another group organizer and manager of contract grant compliance at SEPTA. “I thought he was messing around, but I dropped everything to check the tickets.” 

“We won!” Schurgot yelled from her office.

She and nine other winners presented the ticket for validation at lottery headquarters in Middletown, Dauphin County, and lottery officials confirmed it was the jackpot-winning ticket after examining it and executing proprietary security measures.

Though each of the 48 winners will take home more than $2 million, no one plans on an early retirement.

“No one plans to quit their jobs,” Schurgot said. “This money will just make everyone’s lives comfortable and free of financial stress.”  

As for the retailer that sold the winning ticket, Newsstand at the Gallery will receive a $100,000 bonus. 

A list of the winners from Montgomery and Bucks Counties: 

Robert Chope, Hatboro

Richard Drennen, Hatboro

Matthew Sheridan, Hatboro

Phillip Madden, Huntingdon Valley

Michael Piselli, Feasterville

Joseph Doyle, Bensalem

Joseph Kruczynski, Langhorne

Robert Kruczynski, Langhorne

James Lemongelli, Holland

Robert Landgraf, Abington

Kevin Derham, Merion

Emille Williams, Blue Bell

Dawn Hill, Plymouth Meeting

Leon Faulk, Willow Grove

John Merrigan, Churchville

A list of the remaining winners:

Harold Simmons, Sr., Philadelphia 
Joseph Chimenti, Wilmington, Del. 
Bryant Vaders, Philadelphia 
Tommy Wells, West Deptford, N.J. 
John Paradise, Chester Springs, Chester County 
Catherine Pinder, Carneys Point, N.J. 
Johnny Shtatman, Philadelphia 
Frederick Green, Philadelphia 
John Kerrigan, Philadelphia 
Hamzeh Abdallah, Marlton, N.J. 
James Raymond, Jr., Philadelphia 
Joseph D’Ambro, Philadelphia 
Silvana Linquist, Philadelphia 
Rebecca Ware, Wilmington, Del.; Bernice Kligerman, Philadelphia (splitting a share) 
Luigi Pallante, Cherry Hill, N.J. 
Marylouise Wagner, Essington, Delaware County 
Rodney Crow, Haddon Heights, N.J. 
Geraldine Gaiser, Philadelphia 
Raymond Farreny, Haddonfield, N.J. 
Theresa Poole, Philadelphia 
Robin Hearn, Philadelphia 
Diane McAndrews, Philadelphia 
John Karcher, Kunkletown, Monroe County 
Linda Madden, Springfield, Delaware County 
Thomas Felder, Jr., Folsom, Delaware County 
Daniel DiSantis, Marlton, N.J. 
Donald Cleary, Philadelphia 
Larry Green, Folcroft, Delaware County 
Joseph Byrd, Philadelphia 
Andrew Egan, Jr., Berlin, N.J. 
Yolanda Mosley, Upper Darby, Delaware County 
Anthony Angelone, Sewell, N.J. 
Pamela Schurgot, Mantua, N.J.