7-Eleven in Orange Cures Lotto Fever

Sundays are usually boring for 7-Eleven store clerk Devinder Singh. But Sunday, instead of watching coffee percolate and chitchatting with customers at the store in Orange where he works, Singh had a wild and noisy time. Someone there bought a winning Super Lotto ticket worth $64.3 million.

In the largest single state jackpot in U.S. history, three winning tickets won the $193 million Saturday night. The tickets also were bought at stores in Montebello and Half Moon Bay.

None of the winners had been identified by state Lotto officials by late Sunday.

Instead of the usual, Singh spent his day being filmed by TV news crews and talking to newspaper reporters and other media members who had staked out the store. By late evening, Singh said no one had claimed to be the winner.

“There’s many people here, but the winner hasn’t shown up,” he said.

Lotto officials descended on the store at 292 S. Main St. early Sunday and informed Singh the store had sold one of the winning tickets.

The store’s owner, Harry Biasala, will receive about $321,666 as his 5% retailer’s share, said Nora Minas, lottery spokeswoman. However, Biasala was in Las Vegas and wasn’t expected back until Monday, Singh said. For Singh, the Lotto results were bittersweet. He bought three tickets himself, his usual dosage of Lotto fever.

Throughout the day the atmosphere inside the store was circus-like and festive. One couple who identified themselves as Felix Lapuz, a veterinarian, and Jane Baumann said they bought Lotto tickets at dozens of stores throughout Southern California to enhance their chances. They entered the store like winners, witnesses said, but then told everyone within earshot, they didn’t know for sure.

Margie Bennett, owner of the 7-Eleven in Montebello that sold a winning ticket, hasn’t decided how she and her husband will spend the money they will receive for selling the ticket.

“We have a nephew who would love to go to college,” Bennett said. “Then there’s the employees. I’ve got struggling students and a single mom working two jobs.”

Singh said Biasala knows his store sold a winning ticket.

“It’s pretty ironic, don’t you think?” Minas asked. “The jackpot is here in California and he’s in Las Vegas.”