The Pennsylvania Lottery presented 65-year-old Tony Corso of Fayette County with a commemorative check for $1 million after he won playing Powerball for the Saturday, July 25 drawing. The Powerball® jackpot stood at $600 million when Corso decided to buy a ticket after taking a trip to the Walmart pharmacy located on 355 Walmart Drive in South Union Township.
“I was there picking up my wife’s prescription. She recently suffered a heart attack,” said Corso.
Tony said that on his way out, he happened to be walking past “the Lottery machine.” He decided to play, spending only $20.
“I like to play when the jackpot gets big,” said Corso.
That Sunday morning, Corso said he checked his tickets and noticed one that prompted the message “See clerk.”
“I thought, ‘That’s strange,’” said Corso. “I threw it back on my counter until Monday came along.”
He ended up checking the numbers on palottery.com with his wife right by his side.
“She started saying, ‘I can’t breathe!’” said Corso. “Then she said, ‘Well, I think you’re a millionaire!’”
Corso recently retired in May after running a small tire business. “I didn’t really need the money,” he said. “But it feels good to have it.”
Despite the excitement of winning, his focus remained on his wife, whose birthday is September 11. “To me, her life is more important,” he shared.
“This prize will help my wife fully retire,” added Corso.
Corso also looks forward to enjoying time with his seven grandchildren and two great‑grandchildren, saying he’s grateful for the unexpected blessing and the people who matter most.
“Tony’s story reminds us that it only takes one Pennsylvania Lottery ticket to deliver a life-changing moment,” said Secretary of Revenue Pat Browne. “Each ticket purchased by players like Tony also directly support essential programs for older Pennsylvanians. We take great pride in being the nation’s only state lottery that dedicates all of its proceeds to programs that benefit older residents.”
“Today’s event comes on the heels of our new Draw Game, Powerball Xs & Os™, launching,” said Pennsylvania Lottery Executive Director Drew Svitko. “It’s exciting to see players like Tony take a chance on one of our Powerball products and win big. We’re also grateful for our retailer partners like Walmart — without them we wouldn’t be able to fulfill our mission, to benefit older Pennsylvanians, every day.”
