Quad Cities couple claims $1M Powerball prize

DES MOINES - The federal government, the state government and a niece who made a lucky pinkie swear will each share in the $1 million Powerball prize Esteban and Linda Ramos of East Moline, Ill., claimed Monday.

“She said, ‘Uncle Esteban, if you ever win the lotto,' if she could have $600,” Esteban Ramos, 54, recalled about a conversation he had with one of his nieces, Alexis, years ago. “I said ‘Oh, OK.' She said, ‘Make it a pinkie promise.'”

He swore, and during a news conference at Iowa Lottery headquarters in Des Moines, Ramos said he would keep the promise he made to Alexis so long ago.

He also planned on buying a house.

“That's the first thing we talked about,” said Linda, 47, who joined her husband at the news conference.

The day also marked the first time Esteban, a machine operator at Production Cutting Services in East Moline, had missed a day on the job.

“I'll be at work (today),” he said.

Esteban came to the United States in 1978 and became a citizen in 1999. In addition to the job at Production Cutting Services, he has worked as a meat cutter.

The winning ticket was bought at a Q-C Mart at 1402 State St. in Bettendorf. Esteban said he routinely crosses the Mississippi to purchase gasoline because it is cheaper in Iowa than Illinois. He plays both the Illinois and Iowa lottery games and said he still will.

The Q-C Mart will get $1,000 for selling the winning ticket.

Linda, who works as a dispatcher for a school bus company, said she and her husband discovered they had the winning ticket last week. However, they wanted to wait until after Thanksgiving to claim their prize so they could share the news with the family over the holiday - and because the state offices were closed Thursday and Friday.

The couple matched the first five numbers but missed the Powerball number. Still, Esteban had added the Power Play to his ticket for an additional $1 per play, which increased his $200,000 prize to $1 million. Of that, he'll take home about $700,000 after taxes.

Or $699,400 after he makes good on his promise to Alexis.

Meanwhile, Lottery CEO Terry Rich said the lottery still is looking for the winner of a $16.5 million Hot Lotto ticket that was bought in Des Moines last year. Lotto winners have a year to claim their winnings, and this ticket was bought Dec. 29.

“This is very rare that someone doesn't claim the money,” Rich said. “We think it may be sitting in someone's desk drawer or on their truck visor or somewhere. That's why we're really encouraging everyone to check.”