2023-05-01T14:14:51.141Z, May Day protests: why the use of drones provokes the legal debate 2023-05-01T12:03:04.546Z, Japan cries for the final decision of Daisuke Takahashi, an ice skating legend Steve Jobs already thought about it a long time ago - voila! "A $6M Win and This Cop Went Hollywood." 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. 2023-05-01T12:02:48.162Z, Jorge Rial's health: "He is waking up" from an induced coma, said his personal doctor One could assure that the lives of these two people changed after they made three million for a playful bet. LottoAnalyst uses cookies to improve your experience. The movie is based on the true story of Phyllis Penzo and Officer Robert Cunningham. When interviewed by Entertainment Weekly, Phyllis expressed discontentment with the portrayal of a love story when that wasnt her story with Robert at all. What Happened in 1984 - On This Day This is the true story of Robert Cunningham and Phyllis Penzo the real-life inspirations for the main characters of the hit movie. Friends Sources: (33) marries Robert Altman (58) Feb 14 British singer Elton John (36) marries Renate Blauel at Darling Point, New South Wales, Australia; . She, without knowing that her prognosis would be wrong, replied: "I think I. Whilst based on a true story, it doesn't come close to the tail of . In 1984, Dobbs Ferry Police officer Robert Cunningham split a winning lottery ticket with Sal's Pizzeria waitress Phyllis Penzo, netting Phyllis approx. But Robert Cunningham, a police detective from nearby Dobbs Ferry, was in a class by himself. 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. Cunningham kept their verbal agreement and split the $6 million jackpot when he learned that the ticket had won. In 1984, New York City detective Robert Cunningham was dining at Sals 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. The second of back-to-back films starring Nicolas Cage that was released by Tri-Star Pictures in 1994. For twenty-four years, Penzo served as a waitress at Sal's Pizzeria in Yonkers, New York. . Shared Lottery Ticket | Snopes.com On April Fool's Day (of all days), Cunningham called Phyllis at 9 a.m. to tell her he had just won $6 million dollars and that she was entitled to half of it. A police officer promises to share his lottery ticket with a waitress in lieu of 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. It was Cunningham, calling to give her the big news they had just won $6 million! It's a ridiculous way of getting the two leads in a romance movie together. For more strange lottery wins, check out: Amanda Clayton Wins a Million Dollars, Gets Arrested for Welfare Fraud, The Winners Who Hid the Money from Their Spouses, A Fortune Cookie Correctly Predicts Lottery Numbers For 100+ People. A masterful executive coach, Phyllis Cunningham has more than twenty years of development and leadership management experience in the philanthropic sector. and his wife, Gina. Penzo laughed, then forgot the incident until the next night, when the detective walked into Sal's Pizzeria after work with the winning ticket triumphantly clutched in his hand. EW: Does the script ring true to what really happened?Penzo: Ours is really a luck story, but the filmmakers turned it into a love story. See production, box office & company info, Siskel & Ebert: The Client/Lassie/It Could Happen to You/North/Barcelona, Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA. On April 1, Cunningham phoned Phyllis when she was still sleeping and declared that his ticket had won $6 million. A Pizzeria Waitress Received A $3 Million Tip. Yes, Really! - Sunny Skyz Lottery Winners: 10+ Unbelievable Stories of Lottery Winners! The movie poster starring Cage and Fonda. I would love to hear your opinions, comment down below. 2023-05-01T12:45:00.137Z, Meloni challenges the unions with a labor reform by decree on May Day On April 1st, 1984, Phyllis awoke to a call from Robert to let her know theyd just won $6 million. The second collaboration between star Nicolas Cage and director Andrew Bergman. In It Could Happen to You, strangers Charlie and Yvonne are both married to unbearable, self-centered people, and they find solace in each other amidst their turbulent personal lives. 2023-05-01T12:39:10.964Z, There are almost 1,800 open cases for corruption: who are the politicians most denounced before the Justice 2023-05-01T11:20:47.591Z. Offers may be subject to change without notice. At Charlie and Muriel's divorce proceedings, Muriel has had a breast augmentation. Based on a True Story | EW.com - Entertainment Weekly 2023-05-01T13:38:44.134Z, Netanyahu: "We are determined to reach agreements regarding the legal reform" - voila! [5], The film received generally positive reviews from critics. She gets her half of the pot.. He would do so again in The Wicker Man (2006). When Muriel and Charlie divorce, Muriel wants all the money that Charlie won for herself. 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. 2023-05-01T13:14:43.841Z, In India, a fake call center betrayed by breakfasts ordered at dawn They will divide the lottery payment of $ 285,715 a year over 21 years. Robert Cunningham and Phyllis Penzo starred in a lottery commercial after the win The 1994 rom-com, starring Nicolas Cage and Bridget Fonda, sees a police officer promising a waitress half his lottery money if his ticket hits the jackpot, in lieu of a tip. Next time you dine out, remember to tip well, and maybe even throw a lottery ticket into the mix. He does win, and he makes good on his promise, giving her $2 million. Follow Ryan Menezes on Twitter for more stuff no one should see. The firefighters of Hook & Ladder No. 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]! Nicolas Cage tells Bridget Fonda in, She, without knowing that her prognosis would be wrong, replied: "I think I'll never see you again.". 2023-05-01T12:32:43.215Z, An Arkansas woman is charged with selling stolen body parts for $11,000 This is what happened. This event was the basis of the film, It Could Happen to You (1994) The other was Guarding Tess (1994), which was released a few months earlier by the studio, co-starring Oscar winner Shirley MacLaine. Such is the story of lottery winners Robert Cunningham and Phyllis Penzo, in which a shared gift in lieu of a tip turned out much better for both of them. This real life event was made into a movie "It Could Happen to You" 2023-05-01T14:03:06.602Z, He never arrived at his accommodation: police are looking for construction worker - only his car was found The real-life payout was bigger, $6 million instead of $4 million (though divided into 20 annual payments). Nicolas Cage and Richard Jenkins both appear in Trapped in Paradise (1994) which also came out in 1994. No, this is where the fantasies come true - voila! One day, as a joke, I said, Lets buy a lottery ticket together in lieu of a tip.Penzo: We each picked three numbers. ". Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. The very concept of "tipping" appeared in England news Massive losses on The Late Late Show may have meant that the show was close to the ax whether or not Corden walked away. Welcome to our Fun Fact Compilation! (in the film, Cage and Fonda end up falling in love). 2023-05-01T12:14:42.844Z, Musikkapelle Poing celebrates its 30th birthday in the best weather and in a good mood Is obviously a fake story for the movie but the back page with the sports was real and published in the Monday June 14th 1993 New York Post, the New York Mets made that days headline and a top column says Suns Rise In 3 OT s after their game 3 win that year in the NBA finals against the Chicago Bulls. A Cop Once Tipped A Pizza Waitress $3 Million | Cracked.com After 24 Years Pushing Pizza, Waitress Phyllis Penzo Gets a Tip to Remember: $3 Million - People Magazine 1984. The movie is based on the true story of Phyllis Penzo and Officer Robert Cunningham. The film is based on police officer Robert Cunningham, who told New York waitress Phyllis Penzo that he'd split his 1984 lottery winnings with her after each of them chose three of the six numbers. 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. DC Metro employee killed trying to stop shooter 'heroic,' suspect It Could Happen to You (1994 film) - Wikipedia MST Rice U., MEd SHSU, BM UT Arlington. The film was remade in Hindi as Bade Dilwala, which was released in 1999 and in Telugu as Bahumati in 2007. Article 096580 -- No Title - The New York Times This is how our family operates. Robert Cunningham and Phyllis Penzo knew each other before they split a lottery ticket and they each picked half of the numbers. Marketing and digital 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). She didnt believe it at first because she was still half-asleep and, well, because it was April Fools Day! Penzo . Newsday. New York Lottery Commercial (1985) Bob Cunningham and Phyllis Penzo It was a hit with audiences, and would definitely be one of the most interesting stories in lottery if it wasn't fictional. Richard Jenkins and Stanley Tucci appeared together in the film The Core (2003). When Lotera de amor (It Could Happen to You), a film inspired by his story, was released, he was 65 and she was 58. He promised to split the winnings between them. Its safe to say that the film was an extremely loose telling of what happened between Robert and Phyllis, as the two found the plot unbelievable and ridiculous when considering their friendship. 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. 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. Thanks for watching this video. Subscribe Here: https://www.youtube.com/zippTV_?sub_confirmation=1Urban dictionary defines a funfact or funfact as a short fact that can be about anything, as long as it is interesting and fun. In the movie's initial phase, it was originally titled "The $2 Million Tip". (Thread) pic.twitter.com/CiuNUZdbCp It Could Happen to You (film) - Alchetron, the free social encyclopedia 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. Since they shared the house with his wifes parents, its obvious the house sometimes felt crowded. Charlie Lang: Because of you, I have you. Her husband, Leo (Channing Tatum), has to make her fall in love with him all over again. (His favorite dish was linguine with clams.) This film was inspired by the generosity of detective Robert Cunningham (ret.) The jury decides in Muriel's favor. EW: After she wins, Fondas character indulges in macadamia nuts and eventually buys the restaurant she worked in. For twenty-four years, Penzo served as a waitress at Sal's Pizzeria in Yonkers, New York. by Knowledge Ninja | Jun 6, 2022 | Fun Facts, Knowledge Chops, Waitress Gets $3M Tip from Lottery Winner | Lottery Critic (2004, June 26). Cunningham jokingly promised that if he won, he would split the winnings with Penzo as a tip. Ours is really a lucky story, but the filmmakers turned it into a love story. 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.