Lottery stories: Police officer splits $6 million lottery prize with waitress after verbal agreement in New York.

A Dobbs Ferry detective, Robert Cunningham, and Phyllis Penzo, a waitress at Sal's Pizzeria in Yonkers, split a $6 million New York lottery prize equally in 1984. The deal came about when the police officer proposed to the employee that they replace the traditional tip with a state lottery ticket, with each choosing three numbers for the ticket that cost $1.

The case gained notoriety when Cunningham honored his verbal agreement and shared the million-dollar prize with Penzo. The story served as inspiration for the film "It Could Happen to You," released in 1994, starring Nicolas Cage and Bridget Fonda.

The partnership arose from the friendship between the detective and the waitress. Cunningham had frequented the establishment for years, as had other police officers in the area. One night, he suggested partnering with the New York State Lotto ticket instead of leaving the usual "tip."

On April 1, 1984, Cunningham phoned Penzo at 9 a.m. to tell her about the win. Initially, she thought it was an April Fool's Day joke, but she soon received confirmation that they had indeed won the top prize.

The protagonists were ordinary people. Cunningham worked as a detective and lived in Dobbs Ferry, while Penzo worked as a waitress at Sal's Pizzeria. Their friendship developed over the years that the police officer visited the restaurant.

The incident took place at Sal's Pizzeria, an establishment located in Yonkers, a neighboring municipality to the Bronx in the New York metropolitan area. The place regularly received visits from city police officers, which explains the familiarity between the two.

The total prize of US$6 million was paid in 21 annual installments of US$285.715. As per the verbal agreement, the amount was divided equally, with each receiving half of the annual installments.

After the awards ceremony, both resumed their routines. According to People magazine, Cunningham stated that he would continue working, even though he has four adult children. Penzo reported that he would buy a house and help his family with the money he received.

When interviewed by Entertainment Weekly ten years later, during the film's release, Cunningham and Penzo confirmed the essential elements of the story, but clarified that the production included artistic liberties, such as a romance between the characters that did not exist in real life, since both were married to other people. In one of the statements, Cunningham reinforced his commitment by stating "if I said it, I'll do it," highlighting that the agreement had been clearly established at the restaurant table.

In later interviews, Penzo commented that she "hated macadamia nuts"—a taste attributed to the character played by Bridget Fonda in the film. She also reported making pragmatic purchases with her share of the prize money, such as buying a house and a car for her family.