In 1984, a police detective promised a Yonkers waitress that he would split half of his lottery ticket with her instead of offering a tip. It was a simple act of generosity and fairness towards a stranger. After winning a life-changing $6 million, they both received $3 million each, a story that not only inspired their lives but also led to the popular romantic comedy 'It Could Happen to You.'
Robert Cunningham, a detective in New York, was a regular customer at Sal’s Pizzeria. One day, after finishing his usual meal, instead of leaving a tip, he offered the waitress, Phyllis Penzo, half of his potential lottery winnings if she helped him pick the numbers. She agreed, and together they filled out a $1 New York State Lotto card.
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Penzo had been working at Sal’s Pizzeria six nights a week for the past 24 years. But one morning, on April Fool’s Day in 1984 when she received a call saying she had won the lottery, she thought it was a prank. “Don’t bother me now, I’m still asleep…” she said. But Robert managed to convince her, and soon she was screaming and waking her husband to share the incredible news.
Robert knew that sharing the winnings was the right thing to do. “If I say I’ll do something, I do it. I hope money never changes me,” he said.
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While Penzo and Robert’s story may have started with luck, it went on to inspire Hollywood, leading to the 1994 film It Could Happen to You, which reimagined their story as a love story, as Penzo fondly notes.
Robert and Penzo's story is a reminder to believe that good things can happen when you're least expecting it. Just like it was for this divorced man who hit rock bottom and later won twice, winning a $273 million lottery jackpot.
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