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Jan. 24 (UPI) -- A North Carolina man said the lottery numbers that earned him a $4 million prize from a Mega Millions drawing came from an unusual source: a fortune cookie. Gabriel Fierro, 60, of Cornelius, told North Carolina Education Lottery officials he bought his ticket for Tuesday's Mega Millions drawing online, and he used the numbers from a fortune cookie he got while dining with his wife at the Red Bowl Asian Bistro in Charlotte.
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"I don't usually play my fortune cookie numbers ,but I tried them on a whim," Fierro said.
Fierro's ticket matched all five white balls in the drawing, earning a $1 million prize that was quadrupled to $4 million when the 4X Megaplier ball was drawn.
"I got an email in the morning and I just stared at it dumbfounded," Fierro said. "I took it and showed it to my wife and she thought it was an April Fool's joke or maybe a scam."
Fierro said the shock eventually died down and enthusiasm took over.
"We started running around the house," Fierro said, "screaming like a bunch of banshees."
Fierro said most of the prize money would be invested, but he did have one small purchase in mind for his winnings: "We are going to buy some champagne on the way home."
