Twin Cities man hits his 2nd big lottery prize in less than 17 months

A Plymouth man has claimed his second major lottery prize in less than 17 months, hitting a Gopher 5 jackpot last week worth nearly $875,000.

Anthony Fusaro won $1 million playing Mega Millions just last year.

It's just "pure luck," the 46-year-old Fusaro said in a statement issued Monday by lottery officials. "I've always believed it would happen again."

Fusaro won an $874,766 Gopher 5 jackpot in Friday's drawing. He claimed his Mega Millions prize in June 2015.

No lottery customer in Minnesota has ever had multiple payouts that large, said lottery spokeswoman Emily Frost.

The first windfall, even after taxes, allowed Fusaro to pay off his home and student loans, put a down payment on a new home and tuck some in the bank.

This time around, Fusaro said, he intends to zero out his debts and pay off his mortgage once he accounts for the tax obligations.

Has his reservoir of luck now run dry?

"I still think I'm going to do it again," Fusaro said.

Fusaro bought his winning Gopher 5 ticket at the SuperAmerica at 4325 Peony Lane N. in Plymouth. His winning numbers were 13-18-21-22-38.

For his Mega Millions prize, Fusaro matched the first five numbers drawn, 2-9-11-22-23.

He bought that ticket 2½ miles to the east at the BP gas station at 3855 Plymouth Blvd. in Plymouth.