April 11, 2012 -- A group of co-workers employed by the Stanadyne Corporation in Windsor recently won the lottery for the second time in nearly six years.  

Twenty employees, who hail from the company’s “Prototype” division, won a $1,000,000 prize on a Powerball “Quick Pick” ticket for matching the first five numbers drawn on March 21, which were 32 - 43 - 53 - 55 - 56, but missed the Powerball number, 6.  There were a total of 8,374 winning Powerball tickets sold on that date statewide; values ranged from $4 to $1,000,000 each.  

The group’s monumental win marks the second time those employed by Stanadyne Corporation have celebrated a significantly large lottery prize payout.  On April 28, 2006, sixteen other employees of Stanadyne, good-naturedly referred to as “The Sweet Sixteen,” shared a Classic Lotto jackpot worth $3.2 million.

Anne M. Noble, the CT Lottery President and CEO, described the win as “lightning striking twice.”

Gathering at CT Lottery headquarters in Rocky Hill recently to claim their prizes, each winner received a check for $50,000 (before taxes).  Winners included Stephen Bieleski, Suffield; Stephen Szepanski, Stafford; Nelson Tavares, Newington; Tony Martin, Vernon; Cesar Ferrer, Naugatuck; Nhan Pham, South Windsor; Cynthia Denardis, Stafford Springs; Tien Nguyen, Windsor; Luis Blanco, New Haven; Maria Arruda, Tolland; Horace Sappletown, Bloomfield; Edgar Bloemhard, Vernon; and Phong Diep of Springfield, MA.

The Stanadyne group’s $1,000,000 winning Powerball ticket was purchased at Food Bag Market, located at 98 Mountain Road in Suffield.  For selling the ticket, Food Bag Market will receive $2,000 from the CT Lottery for doing so.