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CNN Live Today

New Jersey Couple Wins $59 Million

Aired April 30, 2002 - 14:56   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: There's a couple in New Jersey right now that are going to be planning a huge bash. They've been certified as winners now in one of the biggest lottery jackpots in U.S. history. $59 million, their share alone.

Maria Hinojosa now in Trenton, New Jersey, where the winners were announced earlier today. Maria, hello. Good afternoon again.

MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Bill. Well, George Lopes, it was announced about three hours ago at this hotel behind me, has finally come forward as a winner. And he says that he plans to keep on working but now, of course, he has a choice.

But CNN has learned that about a year ago, he didn't have a choice. George Lopes and his wife have filed a year ago in May in federal court for bankruptcy. So of course, this $58.9 million, a big change for them.

Lopes worked as a bar manager in several -- two Portuguese restaurants here in New Jersey. His wife worked in day care. She said that she plans on quitting her job pretty soon.

Now, what do they plan on doing with the money? Well, when they were pressed, they often said at the news conference that they didn't know. Finally they said that they were going to pay bills, buy clothes for their kids and maybe later buy a house.

The big question of course that everyone wanted to know, why hadn't they come forward last week? Well, perhaps a sign of the times. George Lopes said that they hadn't come forward because they were concerned about safety and security for their children.

Meanwhile, of course, they sat back and watched as an entire group of people who thought that they had won the Lottery ticket and were filing claims against each other with lawyers because they had all thought that one guy was going to take the winnings -- well, George Lopes sat back and watched that happened. Lopes, an immigrant from Portugal, the guy who sold him the ticket, also an immigrant from India -- all immigrants, and they're all happy now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JORGE LOPES, LOTTERY WINNER: We are all immigrants. We all work hard. And this country is made of immigrants. And American Indians, I hope. They are the ones first here. So we all work hard. And this is just a lucky break. IT's just a miracle that happened. It could happen to anyone. It's got nothing do with being immigrants or anything else. We're all human beings, I believe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HINOJOSA: All right. A total of $58,938,742, minus 27 percent federal taxes -- Bill.

HEMMER: Those guys are giving a whole new meaning to the phrase bread basket, aren't they, Maria?

HINOJOSA: No kidding.

HEMMER: I like that. Thank you, Maria Hinojosa, in Trenton.

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