Unemployed Bronx Man Wants To Keep His $5M Lottery Win A Secret

Bronx Man Wants To Keep His $5 Million Lottery Haul A Secret

An unemployed man from the Bronx — who doesn’t even have his own bank account — became an instant millionaire last month after scratching off a winning $5 million lottery ticket.

His excitement quickly turned into a panic, though, when he went to claim his prize and found out that he can’t collect the money without taking part in a press conference, letting everyone in the neighborhood know how much money he just fell into.

The man now plans on protecting himself and his assets by demanding that the state Gaming Commission (which runs the New York Lottery) keep his identity a secret, in order to keep him safe from the predators he worries will go after his newfound fortune. If the commission doesn’t make an effort to do so, he plans to sue.

The father of one spoke to The Post about wanting to keep his identity hidden, saying, “Where I grew up, everybody knows me. All these people would know and I’m afraid they might come for me.” He continued, “Everybody who knows me knows I’m too nice. And I don’t want to be taken advantage of.”

The former Little Caesars pizza worker bought his $5,000,000 ticket at a Mosholu Parkway liquor store back in April, while shopping for an outfit for his upcoming birthday. It was most definitely a life-changing moment for the New York native, who was raised by a single mom working at both McDonald’s and Burger King to make ends meet.

With his money, the man plans to buy a house for his mom and another one for himself and his 28-year-old brother. He also plans to set aside some cash for his 4-year-old daughter, invest $1 million for the future, and dreams of opening an auto mechanic garage.

State lottery officials insist that the New Yorker can’t do any of that without first posing for photos with an oversize check at a press event on May 24 — which is something everyone in NYC who win more than $1 million in the lottery have to agree to before they can collect their winnings.

The father of one has some hope left, given the March court ruling in New Hampshire that allowed a $560 million Powerball winner to stay anonymous. The Bronx man’s lawyer plans to file court papers before the event which seek to keep his client’s identity a mystery.