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2009 3rd Quarter Press Releases: Article

10.10.2009
Salinas Business Owner Becomes Repeat Lottery Winner on “Make Me a Millionaire”

Daniel VitanzaSACRAMENTO - "Make Me a Millionaire," the California Lottery’s TV game show, awarded 12 lucky contestants a total of $108,500 in cash and prizes on this week’s show.

Daniel Vitanza, a business owner from Salinas, is no stranger to winning the Lottery. A few years back he and a friend won a $60,000 Fantasy 5 prize and this week on “Make Me a Millionaire,” he won a new car playing the Lucky Penny segment. Florence Gilley from Tracy also played the Lucky Penny segment and also won a new car. Both contestants couldn’t believe their good luck!

Dante Hayes, a culinary student from Hayward, played the Safe Cracker and won $22,000. Some of his prize will go to a college fund for his infant son, who, coincidentally, has the same birthday as he does.

This week’s winners:

Name Game City Amount
Daniel Vitanza Lucky Penny Salinas Honda Insight Hybrid
Florence Gilley Lucky Penny Tracy Honda Insight Hybrid
Dante Hayes Safe Cracker Hayward $22,000


The California Lottery believes in creating a better, more sustainable environment for future generations, which is why all cars given away on “Make Me a Millionaire” are fuel efficient and use clean innovative technologies. All new car winners on this week’s episode won a Honda Insight Hybrid.

For more information about “Make Me a Millionaire,” visit www.calottery.com. For high resolution photos, please contact (916) 324-9639 or e-mail newsroom@calottery.com.

More than 95 cents of every Lottery dollar is returned to the community in the form of contributions to education, prizes and retail commissions. The California Lottery contributes at least 34 cents of every dollar that players spend on Lottery products to public education and returns more than 50 percent of sales to players in the form of prizes. Since its inception in 1985, Lottery players have contributed more than $21 billion to California schools out of total sales of nearly $56 billion. Retailers benefit too, earning $3.6 billion in compensation since 1985.


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Last updated:  October 08, 2009 10:54:39 AM  | ©2009 California State Lottery