Third Stake in $41 Million Unclaimed : 1 Lotto Winner Collects as ‘Lucky 21’ Show Up at Jobs

A 36-year-old computer consultant stepped forward today to claim his one-third share of North America’s biggest lottery prize, $41 million, while 21 factory workers who shared another third of the prize reported to work as usual.

It would “not be fair for the company not to show up--it would hold up production,” said Virat Lao, one of the workers, mostly recent immigrants, who pooled their chances in Wednesday’s big state Lotto game. “And they’ve been good to us.”

The third and final winner, who bought a ticket in Albany, has not yet claimed the prize, lottery officials said. Each of the winning tickets correctly predicted the numbers--14, 17, 22, 23, 30, 47--drawn at random from 48 possibilities.

Numb After Hearing News

Computer consultant Joe Moore of Brooklyn said at a news conference today that he was numb after learning he had won $13.7 million. “I haven’t really realized the impact of what’s happened to me yet,” he said.

A regular lottery player, Moore said he probably will keep his job while trying to shelter a lot of his winnings “from Uncle Sam.”

He said he went to bed Wednesday night thinking he had won all the $41 million.

“I am the only man who lost $26 million overnight,” he said. “When I woke up, I found out that it was $13.6 million.”

First to jump joyously into the spotlight were the workers at Hantscho Inc., a manufacturer of offset printing presses in Mount Vernon, north of New York City.

Most of the 21 were immigrants who came in search of the American dream from China, the Dominican Republic, Poland, Trinidad, Thailand, Yugoslavia, Paraguay and Hungary.

‘Terrifically Excited’

“I feel wonderful, great, terrifically excited. Maybe now I’ll go out and buy myself a big, brand-new American car,” said Peter Lee, 38, spokesman for “The Lucky 21,” as they called themselves on lottery papers.

Wilfred Jon-Ming of Mount Vernon, speaking for the group, told the “Today” show that he didn’t know what his employer’s feelings were about the men winning the prize, but that he had assured his boss: “I think we’ll all be back. I don’t think anybody will retire.”

Each of the Lucky 21 earns $18,000 to $30,000 a year, a company spokesman said.

They were the largest group ever to split a first prize in the state lottery, said James Nolan, Lotto director in New York City.

Their share will be distributed in 21 payments of $650,793, meaning that each will receive annual payments of about $24,000 after taxes, according to their lawyer.