Small store stop in Ronkonkoma just paid off big with lottery win

That random Ronkonkoma purchase just exploded into cash

RONKONKOMA, N.Y. — A routine midday stop at a local shop has turned into a surprise payday for one Long Island lottery player.

A top-prize TAKE 5 ticket worth $18,789.50 was sold at Sai Card & Gift on Portion Road for the Saturday, March 28 midday drawing, according to the New York Lottery.

The win came from the TAKE 5 game, where players match numbers drawn from a pool of 1 through 39 — a simple format that can still deliver solid five-figure payouts.

While the prize wasn’t in the millions, ...