phyllis penzo and officer robert cunningham

In 1984, New York City police detective Robert Cunningham was at South Pizzeria in Yonkers when he jokingly asked waitress Phyllis Penzo if they could split a lottery ticket instead of tipping her. In the 1994 romantic-comedyIt 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 did happen to them, but not quite the way the movie depicts. Robert Cunningham stopped into his favorite pizzeria, Sal's Pizzeria on Neperhan Avenue in Yonkers, New York. He would do so again in The Wicker Man (2006). HOLLYWOOD ENDING In 1984, New York police officer Robert Cunningham was eating at a pizzeria when he jokingly asked friend and waitress Phyllis Penzo if instead of tipping her, he could split the winnings of a lottery ticket. He wins $4 million (in 21 annual payments) in the lottery the next day and keeps his promise, despite the protests of his wife. None of the drama in this film happened to . Welcome to our. David, Will. Her husband, Leo (Channing Tatum), has to make her fall in love with him all over again. Wrigley used fun facts in newspaper ads for its chewing gum. As naci,. Since Charlie doesn't have enough money to pay the tip, he promises Yvonne to give her either double the tip or half of his prospective lottery winnings. They're also happily married to other people. It is nine in the morning and she is a little asleep. However,the only thing that It Could Happen to You got right about Cunningham and Penzos story is the core premise: a New York cop sharing a lottery win with a waitress. He picks three numbers for each game, she picks three. The next day, to Penzo's surprise, Cunningham and his wife came to the diner with the winning lottery ticket in hand. Nicolas Cage and Richard Jenkins both appear in Trapped in Paradise (1994) which also came out in 1994. For this film, Robert returned to the cinema: comedy brought him closer to the big screens since the premiere of Rocky . $287,715 annually for 21 years, each. #shorts zippTV 2.5K subscribers Subscribe 1 27 views 5 months ago Hello everyone! Home and design 2023-05-01T12:20:53.959Z, The US prepares accelerated controls of asylum applications at the border: this is what is known so far In both stories, the tip was a tad bigger than either expected from a $5 ticket that could also have paid out something tiny. Dont forget to share with your friends and family. Your membership is the foundation of our sustainability and resilience. Since they were victorious, Penzo and Cunningham had a very close relationship and continued to play the lottery because they were sure that there were people who had won it more than once. 2023-05-01T12:21:04.920Z, Martn Caparrs: "The millenarian who wants to sell children and kidneys is not an option" She bought a car for her husband, another for her daughter, took a trip to Las Vegas and several monthly trips to Atlantic City. At one time I had considered opening a restaurant, but after 27 years as a waitress, you reach the age where you just cant do those hours anymore. No fairy tale ending. 2023-05-01T12:38:54.411Z, Ukraine - Russia war: latest news live | Ukraine shoots down 15 of 18 Russian-launched missiles in new massive overnight attack In 1984, Dobbs Ferry Police officer Robert Cunningham split a winning lottery ticket with Sal's Pizzeria waitress Phyllis Penzo, netting Phyllis approx. In the movie's initial phase, it was originally titled "The $2 Million Tip". EW: What do you think of the rest of the casting?Penzo: I wish I were Bridget Fonda! It is readily preventable by making sure puppies get all their vaccines, although Yvonne probably lacked the money to pay for them. 2023-05-01T12:26:49.182Z, Dirty and graffiti for a holiday unit: the perfect transformation of the house in Tel Aviv - voila! When Muriel and Charlie divorce, Muriel wants all the money that Charlie won for herself. Cunningham and Penzo were never a couple in real life. There are hundreds of lottery stories, but that of these two New York neighbors managed to transcend by having reached Hollywood and by the attractive elements of the plot: a policeman, a waitress with financial problems, a lottery ticket, a friendship of years, a word of honor and six million dollars. Everyone knows that they should tip their servers well; in fact, the general rule, in North America at least, is 15% nowadays, but some people prefer to aim higheror even tip with other gifts. The restaurant in question is not in Yonkers, but in Queens, and the prize they win is four million, not six. We were very hungry when thinking of this weeks theme. One day, as a joke, I said, Lets buy a lottery ticket together in lieu of a tip.Penzo: We each picked three numbers. Its pizza week at Cracked. Claim: A policeman promised a waitress half the winnings from his lottery ticket. Carreys cartoon practically started an international Twitter incident, Lorne Michaels made such a lousy sitcom that it caused Trevor Noah to host a late-night show for seven years, Its probably best for everyone to never flirt. Cunningham, a thirty-year veteran of the police force in nearby Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., was a regular customer at the restaurant, well-liked by the staff there. Diner exterior and interior shots were done on location. Cunningham jokingly promised that if he won, he would split the winnings with Penzo as a tip. Spoiler alert: Both protagonists end up divorcing their respective partners and end up marrying each other instead, living happily ever after. Charlie Lang: Because of you, I have you. He promised to split the winnings between them if he won. The movie is based on the true story of Phyllis Penzo and Officer Robert Cunningham. When asked about the artists who performed them, Phyllis said that she wished she was like Bridget Fonda, adding, Naturally, I was thrilled when we won. The first of two times where Nicholas Cage plays a cop. Robert Cunningham was a Metro mechanic killed during a shooting at the Potomac Avenue station in Southeast D.C. (Courtesy Metro) Metro established an online fundraiser for the 64-year-old mechanic . Robert Cunningham, 64, was shot and killed at the Potomac Avenue Metro station two weeks ago. These are the charges against you 191 views, 4 likes, 0 loves, 0 comments, 2 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from thebingestop: On This Day In 1984, the world's "most valuable tip" was handed to waitress, Phyllis Penzo in New York City. Three years after winning the lottery, he stopped working at the pizzeria where he spent 27 years of his life. Penzo suggested three numbers, and Cunningham came up with three more numbers on his own. Sources: At that time it was learned that with the money he earned he bought a large, old Italian-style house in which his father-in-law, he and his wife and two of his sisters-in-law lived. 2023-05-01T12:02:48.162Z, Jorge Rial's health: "He is waking up" from an induced coma, said his personal doctor Cunningham, who ordinarily might have left a couple of dollars on the restaurant table, had no regrets about splitting the prize. 2023-05-01T11:50:42.527Z, Madrid Masters 1000: Cachn and Bez and two complicated exams to take another step in the Caja Mgica Clarn.com Offers may be subject to change without notice. The poor customer is actually a disguised photographer, Angel Dupree, who is revealed to be the film's narrator; he takes photos of the couple and in the next day's newspapers publicly praises their willingness to share a meal and some cash with him, even in "their darkest hour". 2023-05-01T12:38:43.328Z, Coup in the H subway: with a grinder, they stole the collection from the safe World's most valuable tip - New York police detective Robert Cunningham offers waitress Phyllis Penzo half of $1 lottery ticket, next day they win $6 million. Fun Fact: in 1984 Phyllis Penzo was a waitress and Officer Robert Cunningham a regular patron suggested that the two split a lottery ticket, each of them choosing three of the six numbers. That was a decade earlier and both continued to be married to their spouses. For twenty-four years, Penzo served as a waitress at Sal's Pizzeria in Yonkers, New York. Cunningham kept their verbal agreement and split the $6 million jackpot when he learned that the ticket had won. 2023-05-01T12:26:43.701Z, Video: "There is a baby", the 30 seconds of terror of a mother who wanted to rob the truck with her daughter on board But the cop, by now hopelessly in love with the waitress, finds her at the diner and tells her that the money means nothing to him, and they declare their love for each other. On April Fools Day, at 9:00 am, Penzo received the call that would change her life. 2023-05-01T12:20:48.444Z, Pope talks about a secret peace 'mission' that will help Ukrainian children taken to Russia Penzo spent three more years as a waitress before retiring early. In it, Cage's cop character orders a pizza, and he promises his waitress half his winnings if his lottery ticket pays out. While the movie was based on the story of the shared lottery ticket, it didnt stay true to what actually happened. If I win, tomorrow we will split the winnings and if I don't I will come back and leave you the tip. Color data: in the film his name is Charlie Lang and she is Yvonne Blasi. True to his lighthearted style, Cunningham was making a sort of joke on Friday evening, March 30, 1984, when he offered his favorite waitress an unusual tip: a half-interest in a lottery ticket. Ours is really a lucky story, but the filmmakers turned it into a love story. The Vow (2012) A pair of newlyweds are ripped apart by a horrific car crash which leaves bride Paige (Rachel McAdams) with severe memory loss. Recorded in August of 1984, here's the lotto story of Captain Robert Cunningham, who asked his regular server Phyllis Penzo to pick half the numbers and they. news Nicolas Mancini 2023-05-01T13:44:44.348Z, What Steven Spielberg Regrets From ET The Extra-Terrestrial 2023-05-01T13:44:49.833Z, Carlo Ancelotti throws flowers at Nico Paz, and doesn't give him up to the Under 20 World Cup? Cunningham's ticket had won $6 million, which he split with Penzo, giving her $3 million. A Fulbright Scholar with diplomatic . In reality, Robert Cunningham, a cop, married Phyllis Penzo, a waitress, after they split a $6 million New York State lottery prize. With the winnings divided between the two of them, they were each walking away with $3 million. [6], The film grossed $37,939,757 in the United States and Canada but only $9.8 million internationally for a worldwide total of $47.7 million.[2]. 2023-05-01T14:14:56.583Z, Elections 2023, LIVE: the STEP and all the candidates, minute by minute 1995 - 2023 by Snopes Media Group Inc. barry mcguigan, daughter funeral; phyllis penzo and officer robert cunningham Cunningham, a thirty-year veteran of the police force in nearby Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., was a regular customer at the restaurant, well-liked by the staff there. This way, everyone had space of their own. and his wife, Gina. 2023-05-01T12:02:59.090Z, A Cuba without May Day? One day in March, 1984, Cunningham asked Penzo for help picking his weekly lottery numbers. Buy 1 EuroMillions line and get 10 "Raid the Piggy Bank" scratchcards for FREE, luckiest winners whose tickets were gifted. In March of that year, Officer Robert Cunningham, a regular patron and longtime friend of Penzo, suggested that the two split a lottery ticket, each of them choosing three of the six numbers, in lieu of his leaving her a tip. Just as Charlie and Yvonne are giving up and moving out of town, they begin receiving bags of mail from New Yorkers who read the story, sending encouraging letters containing "tips for the cop and the waitress" totaling about $600,000. It was worth six million dollars: three million for each of them. I bought a house, I bought a car for my daughter and my husband, and I did some traveling to see our grandchildren. In 1984, detective Robert Cunningham from Dobbs Ferry, New York, won a lottery payout and split it with his waitress, Phyllis Penzo, as he'd promised. 2023-05-01T13:20:49.553Z, They want to control Pulga Rodrguez 'minute by minute': he woke up, but he does not remember anything about the brutal accident Robert walks into Sal's Pizza - possibly the Katz's equivalent from When Harry Met Sally - and orders something for his friend Penzo. 2023-05-01T12:57:16.628Z, On the border with the Indian: they presented the novel by Miguel Gaya, winner of the Clarn Award Penzo did retire early at 51, from the waitressing job she'd held for nearly three decades, but it took her three years of lottery payments to realize she didn't need to work anymore. This is the true story of Robert Cunningham and Phyllis Penzo - the real-life inspirations for the main characters of the hit movie. Steve Jobs already thought about it a long time ago - voila! At the film's end, Charlie and Yvonne get married and begin their honeymoon by taking off from Central Park in a hot air balloon that bears the New York Post headline "Cop Weds Waitress", just before the closing credits roll. A few years later fun facts made their way into the classroom, when a professional magazine for teachers proposed an activity where students come up with their own fun facts. Relevant Hashtags:#funfacts #todayilearned #didyouknow #fun #funfactcompilation #compilation #funfact #happy #smile #funny #life #entertainment #interestingfacts #remember Today in 1984, The World's Most Valuable Tip. On March 30, 1984. When asked by Entertainment Weekly about the plot of Love Lottery, the two denied the idea that something was happening between them. Penzo agreed and even helped Cunningham choose the numbers. He promised to split the winnings between them if he won. In 1984, Phyllis Penzo was a waitress at a pizzeria commonly frequented by Yonkers, New York, police officers. For twenty-four years, Penzo served as a waitress at Sal's Pizzeria in Yonkers, New York. His simplicity was reflected in his post-triumph acts. Copyright 2022 | Lottery Critic. So, the reporter was looking at a picture in the paper that hadn't been taken yet. The diner where Yvonne works in the film was constructed in a parking lot at the corner of N. Moore St. and West Broadway in the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan. Since it is April Fools' Day, Phyllis doesn't believe him, but her friend's sincere words catch her attention and convince her. What did you do?Penzo: I hate macadamia nuts! She sets up a table with Charlie's name at which people who cannot afford food can eat for free. Cunningham, a thirty-year veteran of the police force in nearby Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., was a regular customer at the restaurant, well-liked by the staff there." N.Y. Policeman Robert Cunningham and Waitress Phyllis Penzo split the winnings on a six million dollar lottery payout. The very concept of "tipping" appeared in England Police Officer Charlie Lang is a kind and generous man who loves his job and the Queens area of New York City where he lives. Missouri, USA. News 2023-05-01T13:50:44.341Z, Mercado Pago launches 2,500 free financial education scholarships for women entrepreneurs: how to sign up Still, he persisted. 2023-05-01T14:02:50.217Z, It was allowed to be published: the father suspected of the murder in Tayba is Muhammad Masrava, 30 years old - voila! The truth is, they will keep their own place in your memory. On the subject, Cunningham clarified: Phyl and I had been friends for about 15 years. Robot Chicken was here first. Robert Cunningham and Phyllis Penzo knew each other before they split a lottery ticket and they each picked half of the numbers. She then moves in with her mother in The Bronx and goes back to her old manicure job. "A $6M Win and This Cop Went Hollywood." In the movie, the cop promises to split because he has no money for a tip; in real life, Cunningham promised it because Penzo helped him pick the numbers. 2023-05-01T11:50:47.993Z, This was the III ICON Awards for Men's Fragrances: discover the winners (His favorite dish was linguine with clams.) On this day in 1984: World's most valuable tip - New York police detective Robert Cunningham offered waitress Phyllis Penzo half of $1 lottery ticket; the next day they won $6 million (inspired film "It Could Happen To You") Cunningham jokingly promised that if he won, he would split the winnings with Penzo as a tip. The first was Honeymoon in Vegas (1992). 2023-05-01T14:03:06.602Z, He never arrived at his accommodation: police are looking for construction worker - only his car was found As a result, neither Penzo nor Cunningham were required to authorize the film, nor were they entitled to collect royalties from its proceeds. On Friday afternoon, March 30, 1984, 55-year-old Dobbs Ferry Police Department Chief of Detectives Sgt. He had been a regular customer for seven or eight years. Three years after winning the lottery, he stopped working at the pizzeria where he spent 27 years of his life. Cunningham, who ordinarily might have left a couple of dollars on the restaurant table, had no regrets about splitting the prize. . 2021-09-20, The inmate in Juntos por el Cambio heats up: Jorge Macri warned that he will be a candidate "no matter what" This is how our family operates. After Cunningham finally convinced her that it was not a joke, she screamed and woke her husband, Robert, a construction worker, to tell him they were rich. D.C. police officers stand near shell casings marked with numbers after a shooting at the Potomac Avenue Metro station on Wednesday. Ten years after they split a $6 million New York State Lotto prize, we caught up with Robert Cunningham, 65 (now retired and living in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., with his wife, Gina), and Phyllis Penzo, 58 (still residing in Yonkers, N.Y., with her husband, Robert), the real cop and waitress who inspired It Could Happen to You, to find out what they think of their screen personas. Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. Isaac Hayes is the film's narrator and also plays a supporting role as undercover reporter and photographer, Angel Dupree. After the night at the Plaza, we see the reporter standing reading a newspaper with "Night at the Plaza" as the headline, and a picture of Charlie and Yvonne exiting the Plaza. In another development, Charlie becomes a hero for foiling an attempted robbery at a grocery store but gets wounded in the process, forcing him to take leave from the police force. Not as captivating as the movies plot, right? 8 (FDNY 8)were among the first responders to the September 11, 2001, attacks. The police quickly changed their minds and returned the full amount . How did your wife really feel about sharing your winnings?Cunningham: She said, Hey, she picked three of those winning numbers. He pledges to give her half the. when Cunningham discovered that the ticket had won a $6 million prize, he honored their verbal agreement and split it, Knowledge Ninja May 1, 2023 2 min read, Knowledge Ninja May 1, 2023 1 min read, The Dashboard Decoder: Unraveling the Mystery Behind Your Cars Hidden Messages , The Secret Scrolls of Carbon Emissions: Unveiling The Eco-Ninja Guide, The Stealth Stats: Unmasking Russias Nuclear Threats Since 1999, From Silent Killers to Modern Assassins: The Shift in Top Causes of Death (1900 vs 2010), From Feline to Ninja: Mastering the Ancient Art of Cat Petting , The Art of Pep Talk: A Ninjas Ultimate Guide to Self-Motivation . this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. 2023-05-01T11:20:47.591Z. 2023-05-01T12:14:42.844Z, Musikkapelle Poing celebrates its 30th birthday in the best weather and in a good mood The headline with Angel Dupree's picture on the front of the New York Post is "Their Darkest Hour" which inspires the "Charlie and Ivonne Donation Fund the next day. That same evening, Yvonne leaves her apartment after her husband shows up and threatens to stay until he gets $50,000 from her. Not only a good showcase for the film's three ideal leads, but also a kindhearted film that gives hope to the notion of human decency. (2004, June 26). Cunningham and Penzo had been friends for 15 years at that point. 2023-05-01T11:44:47.866Z, Better Call Saul's Bob Odenkirk Adds to Hit Series After all, the possibility of winning millions is much more tempting than a measly tip. I don't have enough for a tip, I will split the lottery ticket. 2023-05-01T12:56:54.694Z, Spain heats up like in summer and worries about the future South Pizzeria, where she worked, was a hangout for the Yonkers cops. The other was Guarding Tess (1994), which was released a few months earlier by the studio, co-starring Oscar winner Shirley MacLaine. Cunningham gave Penzo a tip of $142,857.50 a year for twenty years. Making a splash: A deep dive into the live-action. news Disclaimer: To play any of the online lotteries featured on this site, you need to be an adult (usually 18 years of age or older) and visiting from a jurisdiction in which playing online lotteriesis legal. They will divide the lottery payment of $ 285,715 a year over 21 years. What do you think? One day in March, 1984, Cunningham asked Penzo for help picking his weekly lottery numbers. His wife Muriel works in a hairdressing salon and, unlike Charlie, is selfish, greedy and materialistic, constantly complaining about their situation in life. The film is based on the true story of New York police officer Robert Cunningham who made a verbal agreement with his waitress, Phyllis Penzo, to split the money if he won the lottery. EW: After she wins, Fondas character indulges in macadamia nuts and eventually buys the restaurant she worked in. She didnt believe it at first because she was still half-asleep and, well, because it was April Fools Day! 2023-05-01T12:33:05.316Z, The Ukrainian military says that the explosion in Crimea was a preparation for the next offensive The two chose the numbers together and waited hopefully for the draw. In the film It Could Happen To You, Nicolas Cage plays a New York City cop who doesn't have enough money to tip his waitress, so instead promises her that if his lottery ticket wins then he'll share the winnings with her.It wins, rewarding him with $4 million and he returns to the diner and gives the waitress half of it. On April 1, Cunningham phoned Phyllis when she was still sleeping and declared that his ticket had won $6 million. After filming it was completely taken down. Robert Cunningham offered a waitress at his favorite pizzeria half of his lottery ticket instead of a tip. A COP ONCE TIPPED A PIZZA WAITRESS $3 MILLION, Ranking All Six Episodes of the Very So-So First Season of Parks and Recreation, The Funniest Thing on Netflix Right Now is the Success of The Snowman, There Is No Excuse Left to Not Call Your Parents: Parrots That FaceTime Each Other Are Less Lonely, Mussolinis Granddaughter Had Beef With Jim Carrey, John Mulaney Turned Down the Hosting Gig on The Daily Show Because His Sitcom Sucked So Bad, Four Ways Humans Are Terrible at Communicating, According to Science. Penzo stayed in Yonkers with her husband and bought her mother a house. The real people behind the lotto premise of ''It Could Happen to You''. Since they accepted annuity payments, the two were set up to receive nearly $280,000 annuallymaking Phyllis one of the luckiest winners whose tickets were gifted. He says that if they win, they will split the prize in half. Rotten Tomatoes calculates a "Fresh" rating with a score of 71% based on reviews from 35 critics. Except for the part where we won, it's totally fiction, said the waitress. Want more like this, straight from your email inbox, without any ads or popups? [5], The film received generally positive reviews from critics. The movie poster starring Cage and Fonda. ***, Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations. Charlie doesn't mind giving his share of the money but Muriel also wants the money he gave Yvonne, which causes Charlie to take the case to court. News Origins: Not just the fanciful plot of the Nicolas Cage movie It Could Happen To You, this did happen to one lucky Yonkers plate-slinger back in 1984. "Lottery spouse dies in roof fall", "1993-94 Film Releases (C)1993 Eric G. Carter", "After 24 Years Pushing Pizza, Waitress Phyllis Penzo Gets a Tip to Remember: $3 Million", "Based on a True Story: The real people behind the lotto premise of, "Hollywood returns to Tribeca's 'Enchanted' corner", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=It_Could_Happen_to_You_(1994_film)&oldid=1134272312, This page was last edited on 17 January 2023, at 21:15. The first couple facts in each ad were proper fun facts, while the last, once they had your attention, was a fact about Wrigley gum. ". Newsday. [7] The closing credits of the film include a disclaimer stating that although the film was inspired by actual events, at the time of production both Penzo and Cunningham were happily married to their respective spouses. Yvonne's ex-husband Eddie ends up being a taxi driver. The real-life payout was bigger, $6 million instead of $4 million (though divided into 20 annual payments). For Robert, he was eager to add more space to the home he and his family lived in.

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