North Carolina restaurant owner won $2 million with a $20 scratch off ticket

Italian restaurant owner from North Carolina scooped $2 million with a $20 scratch off ticket. Scratch off ticket are always the most popular games in North Carolina. 

Luigi Dimeo, from High Point, said that when he saw the first digit on his ticket, he thought he had won $20, according to a release from the North Carolina Education Lottery. 

Dimeo says he kept scratching and couldn't believe his eyes. "I couldn't even talk," he said.

Somehow he sunk in the big winning ticket, and the next moment he called his wife to tell her the good news, the release said.

"She was started jumping up and down," Dimeo said. "She was so happy."

The 40 years old part owner of a Italian restaurant visited the lottery headquarter on January 18 to claim the big prize. He had to decide whether to take a one time lump sum payment of $1.2 million or take it as an annuity of $100,000 per year for 20 years. 

Dimeo chose to receive his winnings as a one time lump sum payment of $1.2 million. He plans to buy house with his new fortune.