A Fulton couple received an unexpected holiday bonus over the weekend.
Antonio Albarico matched four white-ball numbers and the Powerball number in the Dec. 10 Missouri Lottery Powerball drawing, and turned his $10,000 winnings into $50,000 because he had added Power Play to his ticket.
"I had to keep on checking (the numbers). At first I thought I had just one number and the Powerball, then I looked again and it was two, three, four and the Powerball," Albarico said.
His wife, Zephia, said she asked him how he had done when she saw an odd look on his face.
"He was so excited," Zephia Albarico said. "Out of both of us, I'm glad he's the one that got it."
Antonio Albarico, who retired to Fulton from California 10 years ago to be closer to his wife's family, said he has played the lottery on a monthly basis for the past 20 to 25 years.
"I like to gamble - it's cheaper than going to the casinos," Albarico said.
Albarico said he plans to use his winnings - which will amount to approximately $35,500 once taxes are taken out - to pay bills and possibly put toward a new car.
"I'm going to pay everything off but the mortgage," he said. "Since we're retired, it'll be nice to (have the cushion). Maybe we can put some money into savings."