Ilhan Omar's Victory Lap Over Earmarks For Squad Members' Districts Goes Over Like...
BLM Continues to Try to Destroy Free Speech Rights of Kyle Rittenhouse --...
Architect of 'Equity-Based Algebra' Accused of Fraud
Aaron Rupar Corrects Elon Musk Who Says MSNBC Won't Allow Even One Republican...
That Was Fast! Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Signs Legislation to End so Called...
The Atlantic ‘Targets’ Student Who Says the Military Should Execute Joe Biden
David Hogg Gets Dragged... Again... For Crowing About the 'Office of Gun Violence...
Democrats Turn Trump’s ‘Bloodbath’ Into a Meme
RFK Presented His Competition a Gift Wrapped with a Giant Red Bow When...
Bigger Problems Than Just a Bridge: MASSIVE Police Shortages in Baltimore Lead to...
Gov. Kathy Hochul Tells Anti-Choice Extremists Not to Underestimate Women’s Rage
What Could Go Wrong? Israel Asked to Protect US Forces at Gaza Pier...
BREAKING: Family of Former Senator Joe Lieberman Shares Tragic News Per Politico (Watch)
Dr. Jill Biden: Before WWII, Berlin Was the Center of European LGBTQ Culture
'Really Ugly' Poll for Biden Hints That When It Comes to Dem Desperation...

A mensch in full: New Jersey road paver testifies in lottery trial, but doesn't see a dime

The New York Times:

Perfeito Esteves was the fill-in guy on a paving crew laying asphalt on Interstate 80, a few miles from the Delaware Water Gap. It was his first day on the job, and a couple of the other men on the crew asked if he wanted to join their betting pool and chip in $2 for lottery tickets.

Perfeito Esteves didn’t chip in $2 for a winning lottery ticket.

Mr. Esteves figured he was just a short-timer and would work with that crew for only a week, so he said no. One of the co-workers he turned down, Americo Lopes, collected the others’ money, as he always did. Then, at the end of that week, Mr. Lopes quit, saying he needed foot surgery.

Mr. Esteves not only took Mr. Lopes’s place as a permanent worker on the crew, he became a linchpin in court when the other men sued Mr. Lopes over the $38.5 million he pocketed from a winning ticket.

Mr. Esteves, 42, who lives in Elizabeth, N.J., was not one of the plaintiffs. But he took the five co-workers’ side, testifying against Mr. Lopes, who lost the case on Wednesday and was ordered to share the winnings.

On Thursday, Mr. Esteves said that he had regrets — and some anger — about his decision not to buy into the betting pool. Mostly he grinned and shook his head when talking about how he had missed a chance at some serious money.

Advertisement

Perfeito may have missed the perfecta, but in the lottery of life he’s a winner.

Join the conversation as a VIP Member

Recommended

Trending on Twitchy Videos

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement