Canadian dad tells son he's 'too young' to retire after lottery win

Dec 27 2025, 3:57 pm

An Alberta man says his nearly 100-year-old dad told him he was “too young” to retire, following the news his son had netted a cool $1 million.

Judith and Antonio Pietraroia are $1 million richer this holiday season after a major win on the Nov. 29 Lotto 6/49 draw.

Antonio was getting groceries when he took the ticket to a self-scanner and said he couldn’t believe his eyes.

“I scanned the ticket and saw a one then a bunch of zeroes, and I thought it was $100 thousand, so I called my wife to tell her!” he said while speaking to Lotto Spot. “She told me to get out because she didn’t believe me!”

Antonio went back into the store to scan the ticket again, discovering it was actually a $1 million win, adding that the cashier gave him a high five before resuming his grocery shopping.

When Antonio got home, he was excited to share the updated news with his wife.

“She said, ‘I have a bad headache,’ and I said, ‘Your headache is going to get worse – we just won a million dollars!’” he said to Lotto Spot.

“He’s been keeping the ticket in his wallet and his wallet by the bed at night,” Judith added. “He kept checking it was still there!”

The Calgary couple said they are planning to pay off some bills and enjoy time with family.

“We want to help our kids out a bit,” said Antonio. “That’s number one – helping out family.”

“The rest we can put away for retirement and maybe have some fun along the way,” he smiled. “We’d love to go somewhere with a nice beach… and enjoy [the windfall] with family and friends.”

Antonio also shared the news with his nearly 100-year-old father.

“He shook his head and said, ‘You’re too young to retire,’” laughed Antonio.

The Pietraroias purchased their winning Lotto 6/49 ticket from 7-Eleven at 1339 Northmount Dr. NW in Calgary. They won their prize in the Nov. 29 Gold Ball draw with the selection: 31914306-01, a white ball.

All forms of gambling, including the lottery, involve risk and outcomes are based on chance. Individuals are strongly advised to gamble responsibly. If you are experiencing any signs of gambling-related issues, check out these resources.

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