Mistaken Cash4Life Ticket Turns 70-Year-Old New Jersey Man Into An Instant Millionaire

Sams, the store where Dante Castillo of Manchester won $1 Million with the wrong ticket.

When the clerk at the lottery counter mistakenly sold Dante Castillo, 70, the wrong ticket, it turned out to be a winning move.

The 70-year-old generally picks his own numbers, but this time the clerk at Sam's Day And Night Food Store accidentally sold him a Quick Pick ticket instead.

That lucky error gave him the second prize winning ticket, where it matched 5 numbers without the Cash Ball. 

The winning numbers for the Dec. 1 drawing were 17, 23, 30, 49 and 55. The Cash Ball drawn - which the lucky Lakewood ticket didn't contain - was 1.

Another Cash4Life winner, Gregory Velez, collected $4.6 Million in May 2016. PHOTO: Anthony Delmundo, NY Daily News.

Dante had the choice of taking $1,000 a week for life, but wisely claimed the full $1 Million prize.

State lottery officials identified the winner on Tuesday morning. He and his wife claimed their winnings the next day at lottery headquarters in Lawrenceville. 

Castillo told lottery officials he knew he won after checking the ticket, but returned to the store to double check. He and his wife then drove to the lottery offices.

Sam's Day & Nite Food Store will receive a $10,000 bonus check for selling the ticket.

Another Cash4Life unclaimed prize of $7 Million was the topic of this abc news story.