NJ's Powerball Winners Claim $70 Million Prize

Sometimes money is the best medicine.

At least that's what a New Jersey couple thinks after they bought a winning $70 million Powerball lottery jackpot ticket at a pharmacy in Monmouth County.

Joseph and Celeste Tamburello of Tinton Falls showed up Monday morning at New Jersey Lottery headquarters to claim their prize. They will get a $41.5 million lump sum payout for the cash value ticket, which they bought at the Little Silver Family Pharmacy.

The couple said they are regular lottery players and buy a handful of tickets — a single, Mega and Powerball ticket — each week.

"We just buy one of each," Joseph Tamburello said.

The winning ticket was purchased by Celeste Tamburello as she was filling a prescription at the pharmacy. Days later, her sister-in-law called to ask if she heard that the winning ticket was purchased in Little Silver.

"I said, 'Oh my God, that's where we bought our ticket on Sunday," Celeste Tamburello recalled.

The couple soon took a closer look at their ticket.

"I'd go through a number and he'd go, 'Got it. Got it.'" Celeste Tamburello said. After she read off the winning Powerball number, he couldn't contain himself. "He jumped out of the recliner, he's like, "Oh my God, it's us!"

"We were screaming, the dogs were barking, my sister-in-law was crying, and it's just surreal," she said. "You still don't even believe right now."

Celeste, who works for a food service company, plans to give her two weeks' notice on Tuesday — the day of her 15th anniversary with her company. Joseph, a self-employed computer consultant, plans to fire himself — or at least give over his clients to someone else.

So, what's first on the shopping list?

"My wife wants a Cadillac," 53-year-old Joseph said.

Celeste, 41, added: "I drive a 15-year-old Saturn, and I'm pretty sure I'm taking that cream puff and gonna trade it in on a Escalade sometime in the very near future."

After that, a family vacation is in order.

The odds of winning are one in 175 million. Still, Celeste Tamburello said that won't stop her from trying again.

Tuesday night's Mega Millions jackpot has been raised to $363 million — the third largest it has ever been — and Celeste said she'll be buying a ticket.

"Why not?" she asked. "Can't win it if you're not in it."