Life after the jackpot
Submitted by FromNowOn on Tue, 08/25/2009 - 08:45In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
For the last couple of days I have been reading with interest about the villagers of Bagnone who are sharing in their unnamed neighbour's joy at his win of the Lottery Jackpot. It seems they take for granted the village will benefit from the win, and the mayor has already expressed a view that a new "community building" would be beneficial to all, and a good way of spending 1 million of the 148 millions the winner has pocketed. I hope they are not disappointed. I agree a new community building would be useful. I attended an onion festival in their current building on the outskirts of town earlier this year. The whole town seemed to be visiting throughout the day. Food and produce was on sale, and in the upper hall, benches were set out, and everyone was sharing the cooked food and pastries on sale. They seemed a very happy lot, laughing and joking, and very welcoming to us, the only foreigners visiting at the time. I bought some local olive oil, and would have bought some onions had I been staying longer, but we were going home the next day. Bagnone is a lovely place and very close to the apartment we have just bought. I hope they are still celebrating when I arrive next week. In such a small town I suppose many of the residents are related, will have known each other all their lives, and so there can't be many secrets. I hope they don't tell the identity of the winner so that he can continue to live in Bagnone unmolested. (I doubt it!).
EUROMILLIONS
Submitted by Gala Placidia on Thu, 08/27/2009 - 05:36In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Criminal underworld!
Submitted by FromNowOn on Thu, 08/27/2009 - 08:24In reply to EUROMILLIONS by Gala Placidia
The last I heard the jackpot winner had still not come forward, allegedly afraid that the 'criminal underworld' might be interested and want a 30% share. What about other lottery winners in Italy, have they managed to stay anonymous? I think if I had such a huge amount of money within my grasp, I'd be tempted to pay them off and hope they did not bother me again after I had invested my remaining millions in a business, a house or two, and had a share-out with my family and friends. The mayor, Gianfranco Lazzeroni, said a million euros would be enough to transform the fortunes of Bagnone, which has a population of less than 2,000 and, like so many Italian villages, has been bleeding inhabitants since the 1940s. Perhaps the winner could give most of the money to the major to invest in the community, and let him worry about the thugs. He could then sit back and enjoy all the new civic benefits to Bagnone and be everyone's friend, whilst sitting comfortably on a few million in the bank - no worries!
Euromillions
Submitted by Postmac on Thu, 08/27/2009 - 16:29In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec