Jackpot no mystery to winner

John Massaro lost his wife in a car accident a year ago, and his teenage daughter is recovering from cancer. So when the father of three found out he had won $1 million in the New York Lotto, it was as if someone was giving him a helping hand.

“I believe it’s her up there watching over the kids,” Massaro said Friday after receiving a symbolic check from New York Lottery officials before the start of a New York Islanders game at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y.

Massaro, 51, of Nesconset, N.Y., said he had a list of things to do, including getting dental work for his three children and buying a car for his 17-year-old daughter, Jessica, whose cancer is in remission.

He said he expected that the money -- about $33,000 a year after taxes for 20 years -- would be spent as quickly as it came in. He said he considered it a godsend.

“Handling the three teenagers and being widowed is a little rough,” said Massaro, who works as a mason.

He added that he was so shocked when he won that he didn’t want to let go of his ticket.