With a "Quick Pick" ticket purchase for the September 3rd drawing of the CT Lottery's "Lucky-4-Life" game, Bethlehem resident Mary Fassio made history by becoming the biggest lottery prize winner in the town's history. The lucky ticket on which this mom and caretaker at a state-run training facility matched all 4 numbers plus the Lucky Ball drawn that night has won her the game's grand prize of $2,000 a week, EVERY WEEK, for the rest of her life. The minimum payment guaranteed to Fassio is more than $2 million and can go much higher depending upon her longevity.

The September 3rd combination drawn was 06 - 12 - 30 - 35 and the Lucky Ball was 33. A total of 12,107 winning tickets were sold statewide for that drawing, but only Fassio's held the combination needed to win the game's life-changing top prize.

Yesterday at Lottery headquarters in Rocky Hill, Fassio collected the first of her weekly prize installments. Fassio will continue to work at the job she's enjoyed for more than two decades, telling officials, "I love my job. I live simply. This won't change me, or who I am."

What will change, however, is Fassio's ability to send a son to the college of his choice, to enjoy vacation time with family, and to move to a property that has a barn to house her much-loved horse, Ferdinand. "Tonight, I'm going to ride my horse, celebrate with him--with a big bag of carrots, and tell him he's coming home!" said Fassio.

Fassio learned of her good fortune while relaxing after work in her yard with one of the family's dogs. Checking the numbers on her Lucky-4-Life ticket, she discovered a perfect match between her numbers and those on the "Winning Numbers Report" from a local lottery retailer. "I looked at the ticket, and I had to look again," said Fassio with a laugh.

Fassio's winning ticket was sold at Litchfield Mobil on 229 West Street in Litchfield. For selling the winning ticket, the retailer will receive a $20,000 selling bonus.