Waitress Gets $3 Million Tip from Lottery Winner

In the 1994 romantic-comedy It Could Happen to You, a New York City cop (portrayed by Nicolas Cage) wins big at the lottery and splits the prize with his waitress friend (portrayed by Bridget Fonda).

It was a hit with audiences, and would definitely be one of the most interesting stories in

Togel online if it wasn't fictional.

But did you know that it wasn't entirely all made up?

The main premise – wherein a waitress receives a winning lottery ticket as a tip-that actually happened!

This is the true story of Robert Cunningham and Phyllis Penzo - the real-life inspirations for the main characters of the hit movie.

Robert Cunningham and Phyllis Penzo

In 1984, New York City police detective Robert Cunningham was at the South Pizzeria in Yonkers when he jokingly asked Phyllis Penzo's servants if they could divide the lottery tickets for alternatives of tipping her. He promised to split the winnings between them if he won.

Cunningham and Penzo had been friends for 15 years at that point, so some friendly ribbing wasn’t unusual. But, even if it was said in jest, both took it seriously. Penzo agreed and helped Cunningham choose numbers.

Can you guess what happened next?

Raking it In
On April Fool’s Day, at 9:00 am, Penzo received the call that would change her life. It was Cunningham, calling to give her the big news – they had just won $6 million!

She didn’t believe it at first because she was still half-asleep and, well, because it was April Fool’s Day! However, Cunningham managed to convince her and once the news finally sank in, Penzo screamed and woke her husband.

True to his word, Cunningham split the winnings between them right down the middle.

Cunningham added on to the house that he and his family shared with his wife’s parents. Penzo bought a house, a car for her husband and her daughter, and traveled a bit.