Politics | 02/10/2009 10:00 am
Woman Who Wins $3 Million Splits Prize With Sister

Would you split a $3 million prize with your sister? Tough call!
Lia Gentile of Buffalo, NY, would — and did. Gentile won the $3 million top prize in New York Lottery’s "Money, Money, Money" game and is generously giving a $1.5 million share to her little sister, Franca Cavitt. Cavitt, who’s one year younger than Gentile, lives near Pittsburgh, PA, with her husband — who works seven days a week between two full-time jobs — and three daughters. While some would want to hold on to their cash, Gentile said she didn’t even think twice about sharing the wealth.
"I wouldn’t dream of keeping all this money for myself," Gentile, who stays home to care for her parents, told lottery officials, reports The Buffalo News. "Franca deserves to share in my good fortune."
How did Gentile win? She bought a $10 lottery card at a B-Kwik Market, won $10, then bought a second ticket with her winnings — and that brought her the jackpot. Each sister will receive $75,000 a year — or $51,112 after taxes — for the next 20 years. Gentile plans to pay a few bills and save most of the money, while Cavitt will use the money to cover college costs for her three daughters — and for a fun family vacation to Disney World. More importantly, Gerald Cavitt can cut back to 50-60 hours a week to spend more time at home. "It’s just going to make things easier for us," he said. "But we’re still going to be basically the same people." Congratulations to all!























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