Illinois Family Claims Lottery Prize

A suburban family that owns a small brewery has more than enough money to buy drinks all around after stepping forward Friday to claim the other half of last week’s record-breaking $363-million lottery jackpot.

Joe Kainz, his wife, Sue, and their three sons will take home a lump sum of about $62 million after taxes.

The Tower Lakes couple and their sons--Michael, 34; Patrick, 29; and John, 26--founded the Wild Onion Brewing Co. in the Chicago suburb of Lake Barrington. They sell their beer at area bars and liquor stores.

The first item on their wish list? “Honest to God, I want a new roof,” said Mrs. Kainz, 62.

Her 64-year-old husband said they also plan to pay off debts, take a trip to Ireland, give money to charity and “have a lot of fun.” Michael Kainz said he would like to build a state-of-the-art brewery and buy a ski boat.

The couple said they would keep working at the brewery, which they started four years ago and is on the verge of turning a profit.

“We put this whole thing together with blood, sweat and tears. And there’s no way we’re going to give that up,” Mrs. Kainz said. She also said her husband would keep his medical supply business open.

The $363-million prize in the seven-state Big Game drawing May 9 was the biggest lottery jackpot in U.S. history. But the biggest individual payout is still the $197 million awarded last year to a Massachusetts woman.

The Kainz family could have received the full $181.5 million in 26 annual installments but instead elected for a smaller payment up front.

The other half of the jackpot was won by Larry Ross, a swimming pool installer from Shelby Township, Mich., who came forward last week.

The Kainzes said they waited longer to step forward because they needed to talk with lawyers and a financial planner.

Last week, Ross said he did the “lottery dance” when he found out he won. Joe Kainz said it was different for him. “I didn’t dance because I don’t do that very well. I just . . . kind of hobbled around,” he said.

Kainz, who plays the lottery regularly and had won no more than $3 before this, bought the winning ticket--with the six matching numbers selected by computer--at the Sweeney Oil gas station and convenience store in Lake Zurich. Owner John Sweeney gets a $1.8-million commission.

Kainz called his wife after realizing the numbers matched.

“She said, ‘You never win anything. That’s probably worth a hundred dollars.’ And you know, after 40 years of marriage, I believed her,” he said, laughing.

Before coming forward, the Kainzes entertained themselves by driving down to the convenience store to watch the frenzied reporters who were searching for them. They even spoke--anonymously--with one reporter.

They finally shared the news with their closest friends Tuesday. Mrs. Kainz said she spent a lot of time talking to her black Labrador.

“I would go by him four or five times a day and say, ‘Hi, rich dog,’ ” she said.

The Big Game is played in Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey and Virginia. The odds of matching all six numbers were 1 in more than 76 million.

Asked if he plans to buy a major brewery such as Budweiser, Joe Kainz laughed and said: “I’ve always had a dream. You know, they’ve got the Clydesdale horses. I want to get a set of dwarf horses and put them on a Red Flyer wagon and haul a keg of beer around.”