Cortlandt retiree Peter Gee collects $18M Lotto jackpot

Peter Gee, a 59-year-old Postal Service retiree from Cortlandt Manor, Thursday claimed a special delivery: an $18 million Lotto jackpot on a ticket he bought while running an errand . . . to the post office.

"I went to the post office of all places that morning to drop off a package for my sister and decided to stop in for a ticket at a store close by," Gee told New York Lottery officials. "Even then it was a toss-up on which game to play -- Powerball or Lotto? I went with Lotto."

After checking the numbers on the Lottery's website after the July 7 drawing, Gee called his wife.

"'We won! We won!'" he said, according to the Lottery news release Thursday. "She wouldn't believe me until I let her hold the ticket and check for herself."

Gee, who bought the Lotto ticket on the day of the drawing at the Riverside Deli on Old Albany Post Road in Croton-on-Hudson, was presented with the windfall by Yolanda Vega, the Lottery's well-known spokeswoman.

His winning numbers were 6, 10, 19, 22, 37, 43. The Bonus Number was lucky 13.

The retiree, who was the sole top prize winner in the drawing, chose to receive his prize in a $12.9 million lump sum payment. After the required withholding, Gee will receive a net check of $8.6 million.

Gee plans to use some of the money to travel, according to Lottery officials.

"It's something you always hope will happen but don't think ever will," Gee told Lottery officials about his jackpot win. "I guess the key to winning is staying positive."

Gee is the fourth Westchester resident this year to win a lottery jackpot prize of more than a $1 million. The others were:

• Brendan Riordan of Yonkers, who won at least $10,00,000 on the Win for Life Spectacular scratch-off game in January.

• Tara Ramirez of Hartsdale, who won a $70 million Powerball jackpot on behalf of Case Park, LLC, a limited liability company she created after the February drawing.

• Robert Rice of New Rochelle who won $3 million on the Triple Million scratch-off in March.