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Madoff number yields lottery payout

Posted on: Tuesday, 24 March 2009, 15:55 CDT

A New York man who used fraudster Bernie Madoff's prison number to play the lottery said he won $1,500 from the ticket.

Ralph Amendolaro, 50, a construction worker, said he noticed Madoff's prison number -- 61727-054 -- on the front page of a newspaper the day after the Ponzi schemer pleaded guilty, the New York Daily News reported Tuesday.

I'm going to be a winner with this guy even though everyone lost money with him, Amendolaro recalled thinking when he bought the lottery ticket March 13. Somebody had to get a little lucky with him.

Amendolaro said he won $1,500 when 054 popped up in the daily drawing.

Lottery officials said 501 people played the winning number on the same day as Amendolaro.

It's pretty common when you have a number that hits the public, said lottery spokeswoman Jennifer Givner. A lot of people are very superstitious.

Source: United Press International

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