March 23, 2011 -- A CT Lottery retailer since 2005, Joe Vige, owner of Vige’s Convenience Store on Rubber Avenue in Naugatuck, has had the pleasure of congratulating many customers who have purchased winning lottery tickets at his store.  Recently, however, the delight of being a winner was all Viges’ when he won $100,000 playing the $30 instant game “$3,000,000 Platinum Spectacular.”   “I saw the (lottery) claim ticket, and a whole lot of zeros.  When I realized it was $100,000, I was screaming like a lunatic,” Vige told lottery officials with a broad smile stretched across his face.  “I called my wife, Beth, and told her, ‘You’re not going to believe this!’”

On March 11, 2009, sales began for the instant game $3,000,000 Platinum Spectacular. The game has more than $65 million in total cash prizes.  Of the game’s four $3,000,000 annuity top prizes, two have been claimed—one by D. Grindley of West Hartford; the other was equally split between friends, Jason Gawitt of Coventry, and Matthew Dogali of Shelton.  Of the ten $100,000 prizes in the game, five more remain to be claimed.

Like other excited lottery winners throughout the years, it was the Viges’ turn recently to experience the exhilaration of arriving at CT Lottery headquarters in Rocky Hill to claim Joe’s check for $68,509 (the prize value after taxes).  “We’re going to pay off some bills, and buy new windows for the house,” Vige said.

Since it was Vige’s Convenience Store that sold the $100,000 prize winning ticket—the  second largest prize winning ticket sold in the store’s history, Vige will also receive a $1,000 selling bonus from the CT Lottery.