SCHENECTADY, N.Y. – The seven state workers from the Albany area who won last week’s $319 million Mega Millions jackpot may have gotten some extra luck from the patience and appetite of the man delegated to buy the winning ticket.

Mike Barth was at a newsstand in downtown Albany to buy the random Quick Pick ticket for the group when he decided to pick up a candy bar.

“I was at the counter. It was my turn to buy a ticket when I reached down to grab a Snickers bar from the candy display and someone reached over me, actually cut in front of me to buy a ticket,” the 63-year-old from suburban Bethlehem said Thursday. “I thought about saying something but decided to just let it slide. I bought the next ticket.”

The winning workers were officially introduced Thursday at state lottery headquarters in Schenectady. They’re each collecting checks for $19.1 million, after taxes, from the fifth-largest jackpot in the multistate game’s history.

 


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