03 Dec “A DOLLAR & A DREAM”: THE INCREDIBLE STORY OF SUCHY KLEIN’S LOTTERY MIRACLE – AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
Everyone jokes about what they would do if they ever won the lottery. For most people, it’s just fantasy. But for Mark “Suchy” Klein, that dream became real, not once, but twice. In this candid and heartfelt conversation, Suchy shares the unbelievable chain of events that led to his win, how he’s handling the whirlwind that followed, and the deep sense of gratitude and responsibility he feels toward the bracha he received.
A big, big, big Mazel Tov on winning the
lottery! Everyone jokes about what they
would do with the money if they won, but
you actually did. Please tell us about it.
It’s truly a tremendous bracha that I won. Interestingly, I actually won about 20 years ago during a very difficult time, when I literally didn’t have a dollar to my name. Back then, I won $100,000 on a ticket. At the time, I used to take the Williamsburg bus to teach English to Satmar boys, and I would buy $2 lottery tickets to use as spelling words. One time, I won about $50, used it to buy a $20 game, and that $20 game turned into $100,000.
But this win, of course, is much bigger. It happened on September 16th, even though the media only released it last Wednesday.
Where are you working these days?
I work at IVDU, a special-needs boys school. It’s an amazing school.
And from IVDU, you go to Ateres Malka Leah in Manhattan Beach to run weddings?
Exactly. That’s where I work now. Usually, on the way out, I grab a drink before heading to the hall. But that day, there was a meeting going on in the room where I clock out, and they didn’t even let me in to clock out properly. They motioned for me to step aside and said they’d clock me out. So I figured I’d pick up a drink elsewhere.
I drove down 18th Avenue, planning to get a bottle of water. I even passed a gas station where I needed gas but told myself I’d get it later at a cheaper place. I tried parking near a 99-cent store but couldn’t find a spot. Then a car pulled out at 18th avenue and 61st by a small Chinese store, so I went in there instead. I grabbed a bottle of water and, for some odd reason, decided to buy a lottery ticket. I’ve bought them before, not daily, but you know, a dollar for a dream.
I bought a $20 game and won $20, so I told the lady, “Just give me another ticket.” I didn’t even ask which one. She handed me a $20 Life ticket. I scratched it just enough to check for any guaranteed signs like a coin or multiplier, but didn’t see anything. When I scanned it, the machine said, “Big Winner.” I thought it was a malfunction. I had never seen those words in my life. I asked the cashier what it meant, and she said, “Oh my G-d, I think you won the jackpot.”
I scratched more, saw that the winning number was 11, and it said “Life.” I called my wife and said, “Yocheved, I think we won at least $10 million.” That was before taxes and before deciding between payouts. I had a wedding to run that night, and it was one of the hardest weddings I’ve ever run.
So the first person you called was your wife?
Yes, the first person was my wife, well, right after celebrating for a second with the Chinese lady at the counter. My wife was in total disbelief. I went to work holding a ticket worth $10,000 a week for life. The next day, we took a car service to Long Island to claim it. They confirmed it was a winner and told us it could take up to three months to process.
They explained that $10,000 a week doesn’t mean weekly checks, it totals around $320,000 a year, subject to taxes. With tax laws constantly changing, especially with new political shifts, people advised me to think carefully. Many encouraged the yearly payments, but I have a lot of anxiety. After speaking with financial advisors and Daas Torah, I decided to take the lump sum.
When you went to claim the ticket, you took a picture, did you know it might be public?
They said it was a possibility. So we kept everything quiet. No one knew until today, around 3 a.m. I had already been waiting anxiously for the money to come in. I’m actually in the Dominican Republic right now. When we got to the hotel, I put my phone away for half an hour while playing bingo in the pool, which I also won. When I checked my phone, I had thousands of messages: “Mazel Tov!” I couldn’t understand why, until I realized the news had spread everywhere. Up until around 10 or 11 p.m., I had already received over 5,000 messages.
You know 5,000 people, or did all these people become relatives last Wednesday?
Pretty much everyone who ever knew me, or thinks they know me. People from Australia, people from Eretz Yisrael. There was even a Hebrew WhatsApp message circulating there about my win. It took over the entire Jewish news cycle for the day. I got messages from everyone, from community leaders to well- known families. Michael Schick even asked if he had to worry about me not returning to work. I told him, “Don’t worry, I’m secured.”
Do you plan on still working?
Yes, absolutely. People told me it’s a huge bracha, $4.4 million. And I plan on continuing to work. $4,372,060. I think I already spent the 60 cents.
What are your plans for the money?
With Hashem’s help, I’ll meet with financial advisors and invest wisely. My wife and I have always wanted to buy a house, and this is a tremendous help. We’ll get proper hadracha from Rabbanim and people experienced with finances.
When the money came in, was there a special bracha you were supposed to say?
I’m not sure. I left the wedding hall at 12:30 a.m, much later than usual, and had to be up at 4 a.m. for a flight. The money came in at 3:10 a.m., so I barely slept. I davened at JFK. All I know is I’m incredibly grateful to Hashem for this matana. And the funniest part? The whole story started with a bottle of water, and I left the bottle in the store and never even drank it.
How did you keep this secret for two months?
Only about 10 people knew, family members, a Rabbi of mine, a tax attorney, and a financial advisor. I called the New York Lottery almost every day, even though they said it could take 12 weeks. It was such a huge, surreal thing that until 3:10 this morning, I didn’t believe it was real.
Did you think about where you plan on giving your maaser?
I plan to open a tzedakah account and distribute it properly. I’m going to clarify the halacha, whether I need to give it all at once or over time. And once I invest the rest, I’ll also give maaser from whatever remains.
Who is your Rav for these shailos?
Rav Binyomin Cohen or Rav Dovid Goldwasser.
Do you think people will start treating you differently now?
I don’t think so. Someone already asked if I’m coming to run their wedding next week. Another asked about Pesach, if I’m coming as a guest or working. I said I’m still working. It’s a lot of money, but not life-changing to the point where I’d stop. I’m 45 and I like to work. It’s important to stay busy.
How many children do you have?
I’m in a second marriage. I have one son from my first marriage, we have one son together, and my wife has three older children from her first marriage. So five altogether. Even if I won $400 million, I’d still probably work, maybe just a little less intensely.
Do you think winning the lottery will make you happier or bring more stress?
I think happier. We’ve always wanted to buy a house, but it would have been very stressful. Now we can put down a real down payment. And I can give more tzedakah, which feels amazing. Someone I used to give $180, I was able to give $1,800. That alone brought me joy. I’m committed to being responsible. I don’t want this to lead to gambling or anything negative. Hashem gave me a bracha, I want to use it properly.
Anything else you want to add?
Just that I don’t want to promote gambling, chas v’shalom. I don’t want people chasing lottery tickets because of my story. Hashem put me in the right place at the right time, over a bottle of water. You see the Yad Hashem in every detail. And you have to thank Hashem for every moment.
Well, the fact that you won twice, you’re a lucky guy. Can you at least find parking spots in Brooklyn?
I have a driveway, and a spot at the hall, Baruch Hashem!