Desenzano Superenalotto Jackpot Sparks Townwide Speculation
“He’s a customer from our area. I’m convinced of it,” says Maria Teresa Papa, owner of the Bar Nova, on via Rambotti in Desenzano, where the record-breaking ‘Superenalotto’ ticket was played that will bring in a total of 3,150 million lire to one or more lucky players. The hunt for the new millionaire has begun. Yesterday, Sunday, despite being a closed day, the Giustacchini family was compelled «out of sheer curiosity» to open the doors. «It’s a continuous procession,» explains Emanuele Giustacchini, deputy mayor of Desenzano. «Everyone asks for news, information. Everybody wants to know the exact amount of the multimillion-dollar prize, the type of ticket played, the points scored, whether it was a system or a ‘lucky’ ticket. Let me clarify that so far, no one has come forward, not even anonymously by phone, maybe to thank. I cannot say more.»
Reactions in the town
But the regular customers at Bar Nova arrive one after another during the peaceful Sunday morning. They linger on the street, enter the bar, and become convinced that yes, the news of the billion-lire win is true and now widely circulating. Theories abound. «We discussed extensively how we would spend the money if we hit a ‘six’ or a ‘five plus one’,” explains a young woman. «Unfortunately, the system we played in shares was not the right one.» A disappointed woman checks the lotto results. «I played 57, but 58 came out.»
Meanwhile, a young man celebrates a correct double on the Cagliari wheel: «I bet 3,000 lire on 3 and 36; they came out. I’ll cash in about 700,000 lire. Not bad. Of course, if I had the winning Superenalotto ticket, I’d already be heading to the Caribbean.» In short, just a double is enough for consolation. Better than nothing. What is certain – recounts Eliano Giustacchini, husband of the owner, an INPS employee with a passion for computing and numbers – is that the winner spent 5,600 lire to play a column of 7 numbers. The bet was placed Saturday between 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., during the peak period.
Details of the win
He is unable to specify whether he was part of a syndicate or if it was a single bet, one of those that die-hard Superenalotto players call a ‘lucky shot.’ It should be remembered that the anonymous player who played 7 numbers hit not only the sole ‘5+1’ in Italy, worth 3,089,186,200 lire by itself, but also a ‘5’ worth 47 million, along with five ‘4’s. Combined, these yielded a total of 3,150 million lire. The Giustacchini lottery outlet is no stranger to such ‘performances’ and can confidently be described as blessed by luck.
Several years ago, a 13 was won at Totocalcio, yielding 400 million lire, followed by another that paid out 300 million. Two years ago, right at the start of Superenalotto, two ‘5’s hit with a straightforward ticket brought in 150 million lire. No coincidence, then, that the family has been running lottery outlets and bets for over half a century. It all began with Sisal immediately after the war in 1946, started by Angela Pollini, the grandmother, in piazza Garibaldi.
A decade later, the Bar Nova was inaugurated in the via Rambotti neighborhood. Since then, urban expansion has been steady, with acceleration in recent years. Now, the resident population is about 5,000, mostly middle class, including employees, workers, craftsmen. «Considering that the venue is far from the historic center and somewhat detached from the Statale highway,» explains Maria Teresa Papa, «it’s quite likely the win was by someone local or a regular customer. We have many who come even from nearby towns.»
“I’m convinced the winner or winners are from the Garda area,” she adds. Nonetheless, the crucial question remains: who is the winner? «It’s not me,» assures a bar customer. «Three billion lire would be enough to solve a family’s problems, but this time luck was really close to me. What a shame I only hit a few ‘3’s,’ enough for… a trip to Malpensa, but not for boarding a flight to Brazil, as I would have if I had won.»
Meanwhile, comments fly around. Among bar talk, the name Beppe often comes up, sounding suspicious to the journalist. A lead? No way. The brother arrives, laughs, and denies it. He appears convincing. In short, it seems likely that the winner’s identity will remain anonymous, as was the case in April 1998 with another billion-lire win at Gardone Riviera.