WMAQ Channel 5 - 4:30 Channel 5 News - "Mystery Lottery Winner Revealed" (1984)

Here's a segment of Channel 5 News on WMAQ Channel 5, anchored by Ron Magers. Featuring Al Lerner reporting, with a brief appearance at the end by Deborah Norville.

Includes:

(mostly complete) Opening animated of the 4:30 Channel 5 News title sequence

Ron Magers reports that only one person won the $40 million Illinois State Lottery "Lotto" jackpot, and throws it to Al Lerner at 111 East Wacker where he interviews the winner, 28-year-old Michael Wittkowski of the North West side, who's with his then-fiancee (or as "Big Al" calls her, his "future fiancee") Fran Pappas (whom Mike subsequently married).

At the time he won, Mike worked as a printer for DeLuxe check printers, and tells Al that he intends to keep working, and to stay in his bowling league (the epilogue to the story, fast-forwarded 20 years on from his big win, can be seen in this article). A clip of the press conference where the heretofore unknown winner was revealed to the world is shown, and Mike explained how he found out he was the lucky person. Al then interviews Illinois Governor Jim Thompson (whom Al says Mike has "adopted" as "Jim Thompson Wittkowski").

Hey Mike - if you're out there and still have some dough to throw around, we could use a nice donation! ;-)

This aired on local Chicago TV on Monday, September 3rd 1984 at 4:30pm.

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