Bayside Couple Wins $1 Million Powerball Prize

Russell and Lori Irushalmi might be one of the luckiest couples in Bayside.

Russell, a 41-year-old finance professional, was handed a $1 Million check by New York Lottery's Yolanda Vega on Wednesday.

Lori purchased the ticket on April 7 at a during a coffee stop. His wife phoned him few days later while he was playing golf.

"My wife called Sunday morning to tell me that we matched the first five numbers for a million," said Mr. Irushalmi. "Ordinarily I would say there is nothing better than golf, but I wasn't getting any holes in one so this was pretty good news."

His wife's methodology for picking number is always the same: a mix of birthdays and anniversaries. 

The couple plans to save their net of $623,040 to pay for college for their kids.

As for the investment they made in lottery tickets: Mr. Irushalmi said, "That hope of winning is worth the two dollars," adding, "That little five-minute dream you have after buying the ticket is nice."