John Gonsalves was killed on March 20 when his home caught fire. Gonsalves still had $1 million to claim on a $5 million win. His is one of many tragic lottery stories.
Tragic Ending
A Massachusetts man is dead from inhaling smoke after his house caught fire on Thursday, March 20. The 85-year-old man, John Gonsalves Sr., from New Bedford, Massachusetts is known for having won a $5.1 million Megabucks jackpot in 1994. The fire was determined to be accidental and believed to be caused by smoking materials.
Gonsalves was said to have led a modest life after winning his fortune. There was no mention of his win in his obituary, which described him as a retired longshoreman and member of a local social club. He was said to have taken one vacation in the last 14 years. His only extravagances were nice suits and jewelry. At the time of his death, he was said to be owed more than $1 million of his money. He leaves behind two ex-wives and six children. His oldest son is concerned that his wealth may cause family friction between the wives and children in determining who inherits what.
Other Lottery Tragedies
The tragic ending to this particular lottery winner is one that has been told before. Many times, winning the lottery can be as much of a curse as a blessing. This curse usually comes in the form of debt of all things. Suzanne Mullins from Roanoke, Virginia won $4.2 million in 1993. She is now in debt for $154,147 after spending her money faster than it was coming to her. She is receiving help from the People’s Lottery Foundation, a company that aids lottery winners in getting them their money faster than the annual payments come to them. The company loaned her $200,000 which she was set to pay back with her lottery earnings over 20 years.
Other times, money can be taken by force. In January 2004, a West Virginia man Jack Whittaker had $100,000 taken from his SUV. A year earlier, Whittaker had almost lost $545,000 in negotiable bonds after passing out at a strip club. The money was later recovered from a dumpster the next morning.
Even more alarming is when winning the lottery results in death. In May 1999, two years after winning the lottery, Billie Bob Harrell Jr. committed suicide. In 2003, Oscar Cordoba was charged with stabbing his wife and her mother in the kitchen of her home. The mother-in-law died from her injuries. Rick Camat was shot to death by police in a parking lot in 2004 after refusing to drop his exposed pistol.
Benefits of the Lottery
Despite these negative stories, the lottery has had its benefits as a whole. Thomas Jefferson is believed to be the first to encourage lotteries as a positive activity because a person can choose whether or not they want to play. Lotteries also brought in money as far back as before the American Revolution. George Washington used one to pay for the construction of a road across the Blue Ridge Mountains, and Benjamin Franklin used lottery money to buy cannons to defend Philadelphia against the British. Even today, lotteries help pay for individual states’ expenses, including education systems and senior citizens.
