He promised to split the winnings between them if he won. The movie added a little more drama (it never claimed to be based on a true story). 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. The main premise wherein a waitress receives a winning lottery ticket as a tip that actually happened! 2023-05-01T12:21:04.920Z, Martn Caparrs: "The millenarian who wants to sell children and kidneys is not an option" 2023-05-01T13:32:49.646Z, Modern Love: Sometimes it's not you or math Officer Robert Cunningham and waitress Phyllis Penzo were actually good friends who joked one day about sharing a lottery ticket to cover her tip. 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. 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. Except for the part about us winning, its totally fiction, she noted during the interview. Cunningham, a thirty-year police veteran, was a regular diner at Sal's, where he liked to order linguine with clam sauce and maintain a steady flow of banter with Penzo, other employees, and regular customers. By 1860, there was an entire paper titled Fun, Fact, and Fancy dedicated to these accounts.The current use of fun fact for a little nugget of knowledge comes about by the 1970s. The one where EW follows up with the cast. By what name was It Could Happen to You (1994) officially released in India in English? Cunningham jokingly promised that if he won, he would split the winnings with Penzo as a tip. 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. 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. As a result, neither Penzo nor Cunningham were required to authorize the film, nor were they entitled to collect royalties from its proceeds. The first was Honeymoon in Vegas (1992). A police officer promises to share his lottery ticket with a waitress in lieu of a tip.A police officer promises to share his lottery ticket with a waitress in lieu of a tip.A police officer promises to share his lottery ticket with a waitress in lieu of a tip. Cunningham and Penzo were never a couple in real life. 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 Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction, after all it could happen to you! In 1984 Phyllis Penzo was a waitress and Officer Robert Cunningham a regular patron . 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. 2023-05-01T14:14:51.141Z, May Day protests: why the use of drones provokes the legal debate A fun fact can be told at any time and doesn't have to be relevant to anything. 2023-05-01T12:21:15.986Z, The chief of immigration is prosecuted for the fire in Ciudad Jurez that left 40 dead. 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. Cunningham and Penzo had been friends for 15 years at that point, so some friendly ribbing wasnt unusual. Home and design Robert Cunningham and Phyllis Penzo 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. 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. Three years after winning the lottery, he stopped working at the pizzeria where he spent 27 years of his life. 8 (FDNY 8)were among the first responders to the September 11, 2001, attacks. news He says that if they win, they will split the prize in half. None of the drama in this film happened to . In 1984, Phyllis Penzo was a waitress at a pizzeria commonly frequented by Yonkers, New York, police officers. In reality, Robert Cunningham, a cop, married Phyllis Penzo, a waitress, after they split a $6 million New York State lottery prize. Two years after hanging the plaque, he was still living peacefully in Dobbs Ferry, considered by him as the best place in the world. If I win, tomorrow we will split the winnings and if I don't I will come back and leave you the tip. 2023-05-01T14:02:55.675Z, May 1: In Le Havre, Marine Le Pen intends to bring social peace She had to have them bound down for the first half of the movie, to appear smaller. 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. In that conversation she made it clear that having shared earnings with a friend did not bring her marital problems with Gina (an idea she plays with in the film): "I told her that I had a partner and that we were splitting up halfway. Hear about random interesting facts from the best sources.Sources:[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_Could_Happen_to_You_(1994_film)#Real-life_incidentIn this video, we'll be presenting you the top interesting but useless facts that you will keep in mind, maybe by choice, maybe not! Nicolas Mancini Bridget Fonda and Nicolas Cage star in Love Lottery, a film based on the story of Phyllis and Robert. Beyond this basic premise, the film is entirely fictional, with the backgrounds of the film's characters and the events depicted in the film subsequent to their lottery win bearing no resemblance to the actual lives of Penzo and Cunningham. Historical Events in 1984 (Part 2) Mar 30 US ends participation in multinational Lebanon peace force. A number of these fun facts were collected in a 1973 book. Yvonne tells Officer Lang in the diner that her luck is so bad that she had a puppy die of"parvo," but she doesn't even know what that is. 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 834 ebm 18-8 3810901 1 The movie is based on the true story of Phyllis Penzo and Officer Robert Cunningham. Nicolas Cage would later appear with Bridget's father Peter Fonda in Ghost Rider (2007). Diner exterior and interior shots were done on location. 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. The waitress - Phyllis Penzo, 48, of Yonkers - said she thought that Detective Cunningham was ''very generous.'' The detective said that on Friday night he and some fellow officers from the. However, Cunningham managed to convince her and once the news finally sank in, Penzo screamed and woke her husband. Copyright 2022 | Lottery Critic. The love story in Notting Hill seems improbable but the plot may have been inspired by a real-life fling this Hollywood starlet had during the 90s. The more Chappelle buys, the more the town does what he wants, Step off, Margot Robbie. Richard Jenkins and Stanley Tucci appeared together in the film The Core (2003). Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy, and director Rob Marshall share the tale behind making their underwater musical with a groundbreaking Disney princess. People often introduce a fun fact, sometimes in the form of witty and biting observations, with the phrase itself because otherwise how would you know it was a fun fact. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. The second collaboration between star Nicolas Cage and director Andrew Bergman. Released in the UK in the same week that the National Lottery was launched. Cunningham kept their verbal agreement and split the $6 million jackpot when he learned that the ticket had won. She then moves in with her mother in The Bronx and goes back to her old manicure job. Next time you dine out, remember to tip well, and maybe even throw a lottery ticket into the mix. Spain: a volcano erupted on the island of La Palma, in the Canary Islands, The eccentric tower full of vegetation they want to build in the middle of Hollywood, All news articles on 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 . She bought a car for her husband, another for her daughter, took a trip to Las Vegas and several monthly trips to Atlantic City. This is what happened. Meanwhile, Charlie and Yvonne spend a lot of time together, often giving gifts to passengers of the subway or to children, about which the media report. 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. ( source) 3. Charlie meets Yvonne when she waits on him at the diner where she works. Not as captivating as the movies plot, right? She flirts with him and later starts an affair. While ruminating about their future at the diner, they are gracious enough to provide a hungry and poor customer some soup, which he eats at the special table. During that long tenure, she saw nice customers, difficult customers, generous tippers, and. At the time, People magazine reported that he wanted to change his house and buy one for his children and that both Robert and Phyllis wanted to go back to work the next day. In 1984, Phyllis Penzo was a waitress at a pizzeria commonly frequented by Yonkers, New York, police officers.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. 2023-05-01T12:39:10.964Z, There are almost 1,800 open cases for corruption: who are the politicians most denounced before the Justice 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 Afterward, for silly Hollywood reasons, the whole country comes together and donates more money to him and the waitress, making them both very wealthy after all. This is the place today where the arrangement would have been consummated. I bought a house, I bought a car for my daughter and my husband, and I did some traveling to see our grandchildren. (Thread) pic.twitter.com/CiuNUZdbCp Missouri, USA. For twenty-four years, Penzo served as a waitress at Sal's Pizzeria in Yonkers, New York. 2023-05-01T12:02:48.162Z, Jorge Rial's health: "He is waking up" from an induced coma, said his personal doctor Spoiler alert: Both protagonists end up divorcing their respective partners and end up marrying each other instead, living happily ever after. The truth is, they will keep their own place in your memory. That same evening, Yvonne leaves her apartment after her husband shows up and threatens to stay until he gets $50,000 from her. In real life, however (as stated in a disclaimer at the end of the movie), Cunningham and Penzo were both happily married to other people for many years. Charlie happily returns to the police force and Yvonne reclaims the diner. Sources: She bought a car for her husband, another for her daughter, took a trip to Las Vegas and several monthly trips to Atlantic City. 2023-05-01T12:56:49.161Z, France pinned at the UN for racial discrimination and violence during demonstrations She, without knowing that her prognosis would be wrong, replied: "I think I. 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. its routines were not very different from those of April 1, 1984. He promised to split the winnings between them. 2023-05-01T12:38:59.891Z, Actor Matthew Lawrence says he was fired from his agency after refusing to pose naked for a successful film director 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. No fairy tale ending. Other lottery winnersoften say the same, though many very publicly fall off the deep end when faced with the excitement and responsibility of winning millions. The unusual event that inspired a famous Hollywood movie with Nicolas Cage and Bridget Fonda. Officer Robert Cunningham, a frequent customer, suggested that Phyllis Penzo and he split a lottery ticket with each of them selecting three of the six numbers. 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.. On the subject, Cunningham clarified: Phyl and I had been friends for about 15 years. During that long tenure, she saw nice customers, difficult customers, generous tippers, and skinflints. Though Robert was initially joking, Phyllis was hasty to agree. For some reason, the movie's French title happens to be "Milliardaire malgr lui", which could roughly translate as "The Accidental Billionaire", "The Unwilling Billionaire" or even more literally "A Billionaire In Spite of Himself" which is weird because Charlie's winning lottery ticket makes him a millionaire, not a billionaire. This story shows us what it means to be humble, even when experiencing the surprise of newfound wealth. COPYRIGHT 2005-2023 Cracked is published by Literally media Ltd., Dave Chappelle Is Buying Up Yellow Springs, Ohio, and Some Locals Arent Happy, The Funniest Tweets From Barry Fans Who Really Hate Bill Hader Right Now, Robot Chicken Was Way Ahead of the Curve on Barbie, 12 World-Class Con Artists Who Could Sell A Shit Popsicle To A Lady In White Gloves. 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. You never know when you could change someones life for the betterthough hopefully the recipient will be more appreciative than Tonda Dickerson, who won $10 million off of a tipped ticket and kept every penny to herself. Yvonne, feeling guilty at costing Charlie all his money, storms out of court in tears and tries to keep away from Charlie. 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. Cunningham stayed on the force. Yvonne Biasi: Because of me, you have nothing. He does win, and he makes good on his promise, giving her $2 million. One day, as a joke, I said, Lets buy a lottery ticket together in lieu of a tip.Penzo: We each picked three numbers. 2023-05-01T13:56:50.193Z, Lionel Messi and a lightning trip to Saudi Arabia after the heavy defeat with PSG 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. [5], The film received generally positive reviews from critics. 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") The cast includes three Oscar winners: Nicolas Cage, Red Buttons, Isaac Hayes, and four Oscar nominees: Rosie Perez, Seymour Cassel, Richard Jenkins, and Stanley Tucci. When he finishes eating his usual clam linguine, the policeman makes a proposal to Phyllis: he asks her to exchange the usual tip for a lottery ticket. 2023-05-01T12:38:48.937Z, Katy Perry loses the trial against Katie Perry: the singer infringed the trademark of the Australian designer 2023-05-01T12:32:43.215Z, An Arkansas woman is charged with selling stolen body parts for $11,000 Snopes and the Snopes.com logo are registered service marks of Snopes.com. The firefighters of Hook & Ladder No. . 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. Cunningham and Penzo led very normal lives, all things considered. It is readily preventable by making sure puppies get all their vaccines, although Yvonne probably lacked the money to pay for them. 2023-05-01T13:50:44.341Z, Mercado Pago launches 2,500 free financial education scholarships for women entrepreneurs: how to sign up One day in March, 1984, Cunningham asked Penzo for help picking his weekly lottery numbers. 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. It was worth six million dollars: three million for each of them. Whether he's screaming, swooning, or sweeping us off our feet, Nic Cage's career is, honestly, kinda perfect. phyllis penzo and officer robert cunninghamduskull evolution arceus. This event was the basis of the film, It Could Happen to You (1994) When NY city cop Robert Cunningham offered longtime friend Phyllis Penzo, a waitress, to split a lottery ticket in place of a tip, little did the two know that they would actually win. Welcome offer: Save 25% off your entire first order, Welcome offer:Get 25% off your entire first purchase, Welcome offer: FREE Powerball entry with first purchase. $3M. Phyllis was immediately ready to shell out some of her millions, as she immediately invested in a new home as well as new cars for her family. In 1984, New York City detective Robert Cunningham was dining at Sal's Pizzeria in Yonkers when he suggested to his waitress and long-time friend Phyllis Penzo that the two split a lottery ticket instead of tipping on the bill. Sal's Pizzeria, where he worked, was a hangout for the Yonkers police. Dont forget to share with your friends and family. Robert walks into Sal's Pizza - possibly the Katz's equivalent from When Harry Met Sally - and orders something for his friend Penzo. A true fun fact should be memorable and make people laugh. They're also happily married to other people. In 1984, Phyllis Penzo was a waitress at a pizzeria commonly frequented by Yonkers, New York police officers. 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. When Robert Cunningham, a police detective, finished one of his regular meals in South Pizzeria in Yonkers in 1984, he had no money to leave a tip. Penzo suggested three numbers, and Cunningham came up with three more numbers on his own. 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. ". Nicolas Cage, Bridget Fonda, and Rosie Perez were all born in 1964. $287,715 annually for 21 years, each. When interviewed by Entertainment Weekly, Phyllis expressed discontentment with the portrayal of a love story when that wasnt her story with Robert at all. In the 1850s, there was a newspaper column titled Fun, Fact, and Fancy, a sort of Twitter Moments of its day. Phyllis Penzo was a waitress at Sal's Pizzeria in Yonkers, New York, for twenty-four years. Cunningham gave Penzo a tip of $142,857.50 a year for twenty years. Three years after winning the lottery, he stopped working at the pizzeria where he spent 27 years of his life. EW: Rosie Perez portrays your wife as quite a money-grubber. 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. 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. Buy one Powerball ticket and get a second one free! 2023-05-01T11:26:47.685Z, At the request of Avi Maoz, the secretary of the government in a letter to the ministers: to issue forms also with the headings "father" and "mother" - voila! This is the true story of Robert Cunningham and Phyllis Penzo - the real-life inspirations for the main characters of the hit movie. In the movie, Cage loses all the money to his wife, who leaves him (and then she loses the money to a con artist). The movie is based on the true story of Phyllis Penzo and Officer Robert Cunningham. He promised to split the winnings between them if he won. N.Y. Policeman Robert Cunningham and Waitress Phyllis Penzo split the winnings on a six million dollar lottery payout. A constructivist k-8 science facilitator & cognitive coach specializing in earth/space science curriculum and music. 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. But, no, I didnt marry Bob, and I would never go up in one of those balloons [as Nicolas Cage and Bridget Fonda do in the movie to celebrate]! Cage's wife sues to get back the half of the money that he handed to a stranger, and a court sides with her. Whilst based on a true story, it doesn't come close to the tail of . Beware: You should never repeat a fun fact that another friend has told, fun facts are only fun the first time they are heard.A fun fact is a tidbit of interesting or entertaining trivia. How the Hell Did The Late Late Show with James Corden Lose $20M Every Year? Muriel gets fed up with Charlie's constant donations and overall simplicity and throws him out of their apartment, asking for a divorce. The 50 greatest TV and movie detectives of all time. He is being remembered by Metro and transit riders. The next day, to Penzo's surprise, Cunningham and his wife came to the diner with the winning lottery ticket in hand. 2023-05-01T11:50:42.527Z, Madrid Masters 1000: Cachn and Bez and two complicated exams to take another step in the Caja Mgica We dare you to change our minds.

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