2023-05-01T13:32:49.646Z, Modern Love: Sometimes it's not you or math Since they accepted annuity payments, the two were set up to receive nearly $280,000 annuallymaking Phyllis one of the luckiest winners whose tickets were gifted. She, without knowing that her prognosis would be wrong, replied: "I think I. 2023-05-01T12:02:53.609Z, "Mask Singer": the production defends Mel B after the words of Anny Duperey Sources: 7900 oak lane suite 200 miami lakes, fl 33016. newborn take me home outfit boy. I don't have enough for a tip, I will split the lottery ticket. Buy one Powerball ticket and get a second one free! Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham have been happily married for 31 years. Clarn.com 2023-05-01T13:20:43.945Z, Wood carvers in the square in Trieste with chainsaws when Cunningham discovered that the ticket [r/todayilearned] [6], The film grossed $37,939,757 in the United States and Canada but only $9.8 million internationally for a worldwide total of $47.7 million.[2]. Cunningham, a thirty-year veteran of the police force in nearby Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., was a regular customer at the restaurant, well-liked by the staff there. 2021-09-20, The inmate in Juntos por el Cambio heats up: Jorge Macri warned that he will be a candidate "no matter what" 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. 2023-05-01T13:08:43.779Z, AI in education? Quite innocently, Charlie and Yvonne run into each other at the Plaza Hotel and, unintentionally, end up spending the night together. He promised to split the winnings between them if he won. She had to have them bound down for the first half of the movie, to appear smaller. 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. 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. its routines were not very different from those of April 1, 1984. He and Yvonne become stars almost immediately. 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. She sets up a table with Charlie's name at which people who cannot afford food can eat for free. The second of back-to-back films starring Nicolas Cage that was released by Tri-Star Pictures in 1994. cunningly.bandcamp.com. A police officer promises to share his lottery ticket with a waitress in lieu of a tip. If I win, tomorrow we will split the winnings and if I don't I will come back and leave you the tip. Muriel gets fed up with Charlie's constant donations and overall simplicity and throws him out of their apartment, asking for a divorce. Home and design 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. New York City police detective Robert Cunningham frequented his favourite restaurant for eight years. 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. Cunningham jokingly promised that if he won, he would split the winnings with Penzo as a tip. 2023-05-01T11:20:47.591Z. But Robert Cunningham, a police detective from nearby Dobbs Ferry, was in a class by himself. 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 As a result, neither Penzo nor Cunningham were required to authorize the film, nor were they entitled to collect royalties from its proceeds. Still, who knows maybe one day you might just end up sharing a lottery win with a stranger, only to fall in love with them. He is a regular at the place and has known the waitress for more than ten years. EW: So there was never anything between you two?Cunningham: Nah. 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. 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. 2023-05-01T12:39:10.964Z, There are almost 1,800 open cases for corruption: who are the politicians most denounced before the Justice 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. This film was inspired by the generosity of detective Robert Cunningham (ret.) Nicolas Cage tells Bridget Fonda in, She, without knowing that her prognosis would be wrong, replied: "I think I'll never see you again.". Robert Cunningham was a Metro mechanic killed during a shooting at the Potomac Avenue station in Southeast D.C. (Courtesy Metro) Metro established an online fundraiser for the 64-year-old mechanic . Cunningham and Penzo had been friends for 15 years at that point. 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. 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. 2023-05-01T13:38:44.134Z, Netanyahu: "We are determined to reach agreements regarding the legal reform" - voila! Ours is really a lucky story, but the filmmakers turned it into a love story. 2023-05-01T14:14:56.583Z, Elections 2023, LIVE: the STEP and all the candidates, minute by minute 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. 2023-05-01T13:20:49.553Z, They want to control Pulga Rodrguez 'minute by minute': he woke up, but he does not remember anything about the brutal accident One day in March, 1984, Cunningham asked Penzo for help picking his weekly lottery numbers. One could assure that the lives of these two people changed after they made three million for a playful bet. A constructivist k-8 science facilitator & cognitive coach specializing in earth/space science curriculum and music. 2023-05-01T12:38:43.328Z, Coup in the H subway: with a grinder, they stole the collection from the safe 2023-05-01T13:50:44.341Z, Mercado Pago launches 2,500 free financial education scholarships for women entrepreneurs: how to sign up In reality, Robert Cunningham, a cop, married Phyllis Penzo, a waitress, after they split a $6 million New York State lottery prize. The movie poster starring Cage and Fonda. This real life event was made into a movie "It Could Happen to You" The headline with Angel Dupree's picture on the front of the New York Post is "Their Darkest Hour" which inspires the "Charlie and Ivonne Donation Fund the next day. 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. Except for the part about us winning, its totally fiction. Cunningham, a thirty-year veteran of the police force in nearby Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., was a regular customer at the restaurant, well-liked by the staff there. Initially, she was hesitant to believe him, as it was April Fools Day and she was certain it was just a rude prank. On March 30, 1984. Their haul? But the cop, by now hopelessly in love with the waitress, finds her at the diner and tells her that the money means nothing to him, and they declare their love for each other. The waitress and her husband have been happily married for 37 years. Yvonne buys the diner she was working in. If I win, tomorrow we will split the winnings and if I don't I will come back and leave you the tip. 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. This is how our family operates. The 50 greatest TV and movie detectives of all time. After all, he says, Penzo helped pick the winning numbers. 2023-05-01T12:20:42.986Z, First Republic Bank is acquired by the FDIC and sold to JPMorgan in the third major bank failure of 2023 The movie is based on the true story of Phyllis Penzo and Officer Robert Cunningham. . Naturally, I was thrilled when we won. 2023-05-01T12:45:00.137Z, Meloni challenges the unions with a labor reform by decree on May Day He promised to split the winnings between them if he won. This is the place today where the arrangement would have been consummated. While the movie was based on the story of the shared lottery ticket, it didnt stay true to what actually happened. Truth is sometimes stranger than fiction, after all it could happen to you! The police quickly changed their minds and returned the full amount . 2023-05-01T14:14:51.141Z, May Day protests: why the use of drones provokes the legal debate To compensate her for her honesty, police offered her $1000. 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. MST Rice U., MEd SHSU, BM UT Arlington. He had been a regular customer for seven or eight years. He pledges to give her half the. Robot Chicken was here first. Forero, Juan. ". The next day, to Penzo's surprise, Cunningham and his wife came to the diner with the winning lottery ticket in hand. ". news 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. Claim: A policeman promised a waitress half the winnings from his lottery ticket. Phyl and I had been friends for about 15 years. Family and friends said a final goodbye to a Metro mechanic who died while trying to protect others. Recorded in August of 1984, here's the lotto story of Captain Robert Cunningham, who asked his regular server Phyllis Penzo to pick half the numbers and they. Your membership is the foundation of our sustainability and resilience. 2023-05-01T12:08:42.732Z, Calderone, fund for the compensation of school-work victims It is nine in the morning and she is a little asleep. Phyllis received her tip of $3 million as she was promised. Next time you dine out, remember to tip well, and maybe even throw a lottery ticket into the mix. 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. He picks three numbers for each game, she picks three. She flirts with him and later starts an affair. The poor customer is actually a disguised photographer, Angel Dupree, who is revealed to be the film's narrator; he takes photos of the couple and in the next day's newspapers publicly praises their willingness to share a meal and some cash with him, even in "their darkest hour". It was Cunningham, calling to give her the big news they had just won $6 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. Robert Cunningham stopped into his favorite pizzeria, Sal's Pizzeria on Neperhan Avenue in Yonkers, New York. South Pizzeria, where she worked, was a hangout for the Yonkers cops. When Lotera de amor (It Could Happen to You), a film inspired by his story, was released, he was 65 and she was 58. Entertainment Weekly is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation All Rights Reserved. With the winnings divided between the two of them, they were each walking away with $3 million. No antagonists making things hard for our heroes. YONKERS, N.Y. -- Police Sgt. They are Rosie Perez's real breasts. Welcome to our Fun Fact Compilation! On April 1st, 1984, Phyllis awoke to a call from Robert to let her know theyd just won $6 million. But no, I didn't marry Bob, and I would never get on one of those balloons (like Nicolas Cage and Bridget Fonda do in the movie to celebrate). The Coffee Shop that Ivonne works in and eventually buys is located in the Bowery, which is the lower part of Manhattan near Chinatown which is the beat that Charlie and his partner walk as NYPD officers. The next day, Penzo wakes up to a call from Robert: he exclaims that they, just won six million dollars in the New York State Lottery. Robert Cunningham and Phyllis Penzo knew each other before they split a lottery ticket and they each picked half of the numbers. Want more like this, straight from your email inbox, without any ads or popups? 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. 2023-05-01T11:44:47.866Z, Better Call Saul's Bob Odenkirk Adds to Hit Series Since Charlie doesn't have enough money to pay the tip, he promises Yvonne to give her either double the tip or half of his prospective lottery winnings. 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. Penzo stayed in Yonkers with her husband and bought her mother a house. In 1984, New York City police detective Robert Cunningham was at South Pizzeria in Yonkers when he . However,the only thing that It Could Happen to You got right about Cunningham and Penzos story is the core premise: a New York cop sharing a lottery win with a waitress. Detective Cunningham was just about to leave a tip for Phyllis Penzo, who had been a waitress at the restaurant for 24 years, when instead he offered her the following deal: split whatever the lottery ticket in his pocket might win them. Isaac Hayes is the film's narrator and also plays a supporting role as undercover reporter and photographer, Angel Dupree. Home and design He and Mrs. Penzo, a waitress whom he had known for 13 or 14 years, play a New York Lotto card that cost $5. 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. David, Will. [5], The film received generally positive reviews from critics. The two end up picking three numbers and playing a one-dollar New York Lotto ticket. This is the true story of Robert Cunningham and Phyllis Penzo - the real-life inspirations for the main characters of the hit movie. 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. 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.. 2023-05-01T12:03:04.546Z, Japan cries for the final decision of Daisuke Takahashi, an ice skating legend 834 ebm 18-8 3810901 1 (Thread) pic.twitter.com/CiuNUZdbCp 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. Phyllis agreed, and helped him pick the numbers. Cunningham, chief of the neighborhood police department's detective division, has an ordinary day. "Lottery spouse dies in roof fall", "1993-94 Film Releases (C)1993 Eric G. Carter", "After 24 Years Pushing Pizza, Waitress Phyllis Penzo Gets a Tip to Remember: $3 Million", "Based on a True Story: The real people behind the lotto premise of, "Hollywood returns to Tribeca's 'Enchanted' corner", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=It_Could_Happen_to_You_(1994_film)&oldid=1134272312, This page was last edited on 17 January 2023, at 21:15. For twenty-four years, Penzo served as a waitress at Sal's Pizzeria in Yonkers, New York. 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 International In a plot inspired by a real-life news story,[3][4] a New York City police officer (Cage) who is short on cash and unable to tip his waitress (Fonda), half-jokingly offers to share his winnings if he happens to win the lottery. The diner where Yvonne works in the film was constructed in a parking lot at the corner of N. Moore St. and West Broadway in the Tribeca neighborhood of Manhattan. During that long tenure, she saw nice customers, difficult customers, generous tippers, and skinflints. During that long tenure, she saw nice customers, difficult customers, generous tippers, and. 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. by Knowledge Ninja | Jun 6, 2022 | Fun Facts, Knowledge Chops, ( source) 3. Lo que les sucedi al polica Robert Cunningham y a la camarera Phyllis Penzo le regal a Hollywood todos los condimentos necesarios para crear la comedia romntica perfecta. 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. Each picked three of the six numbers; Cunningham walked across the street and bought their ticket. Though Robert was initially joking, Phyllis was hasty to agree. Ten years after they split a $6 million New York State Lotto prize, we caught up with Robert Cunningham, 65 (now retired and living in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., with his wife, Gina), and Phyllis Penzo, 58 (still residing in Yonkers, N.Y., with her husband, Robert), the real cop and waitress who inspired It Could Happen to You, to find out what they think of their screen personas. news After filming it was completely taken down. 2023-05-01T14:02:55.675Z, May 1: In Le Havre, Marine Le Pen intends to bring social peace In 1984, Phyllis Penzo was a waitress at a pizzeria commonly frequented by Yonkers, New York, police officers. 2023-05-01T11:50:42.527Z, Madrid Masters 1000: Cachn and Bez and two complicated exams to take another step in the Caja Mgica Robert ended up with a 4,4 million win and he returned to the pizza restaurant where she worked to give her a whopping tip of 2,2m. In 1984 Phyllis Penzo was a waitress and Officer Robert Cunningham a regular patron . Predictable every step of the way, and hard to believe (though it's purportedly based on a true story), but it's so well-performed, so irresistibly charming, so sweet and romantic that you really don't mind. She then moves in with her mother in The Bronx and goes back to her old manicure job. "A $6M Win and This Cop Went Hollywood." These are the charges against you The movie is based on the true story of Phyllis Penzo and Officer Robert Cunningham. The first couple facts in each ad were proper fun facts, while the last, once they had your attention, was a fact about Wrigley gum. In real life, apparently Cunningham's wife was fine with the split, which is a little surprising. He would do so again in The Wicker Man (2006). 2023-05-01T12:56:54.694Z, Spain heats up like in summer and worries about the future Cunningham ended up admirably staying true to his word, splitting the money evenly with Penzo. Cunningham stayed on the force. Yvonne's ex-husband Eddie ends up being a taxi driver. 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. No, this is where the fantasies come true - voila! Since they were victorious, Penzo and Cunningham had a very close relationship and continued to play the lottery because they were sure that there were people who had won it more than once. The movie added a little more drama (it never claimed to be based on a true story). 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. gifted Hollywood with all the spices needed to create the perfect romantic comedy. That's right, Cunningham ended up winning after all, and true to his promise, shared the $6 million prize right down the middle. Her husband, Leo (Channing Tatum), has to make her fall in love with him all over again. In the movie's initial phase, it was originally titled "The $2 Million Tip". Join here: Get the best of Cracked sent directly to your inbox! On the subject, Cunningham clarified: Phyl and I had been friends for about 15 years. 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. Charlie doesn't mind giving his share of the money but Muriel also wants the money he gave Yvonne, which causes Charlie to take the case to court. Though Robert and Phyllis both indicated that winning the lottery didnt change their lives too drastically, the luck of the draw definitely made it easier for them to live their lives just as they wanted to. 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. On Friday afternoon, March 30, 1984, 55-year-old Dobbs Ferry Police Department Chief of Detectives Sgt. (in the film, Cage and Fonda end up falling in love). How the Hell Did The Late Late Show with James Corden Lose $20M Every Year? If you loved the video, make sure to like smash that subscribe button and click the notification bell to stay up to date on this journey with us. Bridget Fonda and Nicolas Cage star in Love Lottery, a film based on the story of Phyllis and Robert. I would love to hear your opinions, comment down below. EW: Rosie Perez portrays your wife as quite a money-grubber. 2023-05-01T11:50:58.901Z, Is this an office? Electrical Parts "The movie is based on the true story of Phyllis Penzo and Officer Robert Cunningham. 2023-05-01T12:44:54.665Z, Lyon: two individuals arrested "thanks to the use of a drone" during the May Day demonstration 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. Penzo spent three more years as a waitress before retiring early. The tradition of leaving "for tea" originated in the vastness of England and eventually spread to almost all countries. The movie is based on the true story of Phyllis Penzo and Officer Robert Cunningham. 2023-05-01T14:02:50.217Z, It was allowed to be published: the father suspected of the murder in Tayba is Muhammad Masrava, 30 years old - voila! 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. 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. Sal's Pizzeria, where he worked, was a hangout for the Yonkers police. 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. Whilst based on a true story, it doesn't come close to the tail of . "The main thing is that you live comfortably and you can buy things whenever you want," he said in a note from '94. 8 (FDNY 8)were among the first responders to the September 11, 2001, attacks. She accepted and was rewarded . The film was remade in Hindi as Bade Dilwala, which was released in 1999 and in Telugu as Bahumati in 2007. At a gathering on a chartered boat for the lottery winners and other members of high society, Muriel gets to know the newly rich Jack Gross. In a note that People published two weeks after the new victory, Robert said: I have been a simple person all my life. EW: What do you think of the rest of the casting?Penzo: I wish I were Bridget Fonda! The Vow (2012) A pair of newlyweds are ripped apart by a horrific car crash which leaves bride Paige (Rachel McAdams) with severe memory loss. HOLLYWOOD ENDING In 1984, New York police officer Robert Cunningham was eating at a pizzeria when he jokingly asked friend and waitress Phyllis Penzo if instead of tipping her, he could split the winnings of a lottery ticket. The firefighters of Hook & Ladder No. 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. In 1984, Dobbs Ferry Police officer Robert Cunningham split a winning lottery ticket with Sal's Pizzeria waitress Phyllis Penzo, netting Phyllis approx. 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. (33) marries Robert Altman (58) Feb 14 British singer Elton John (36) marries Renate Blauel at Darling Point, New South Wales, Australia; . For this film, Robert returned to the cinema: comedy brought him closer to the big screens since the premiere of Rocky . Charlie happily returns to the police force and Yvonne reclaims the diner. Charlie Lang: Because of you, I have you. On April 1, Cunningham phoned Phyllis when she was still sleeping and declared that his ticket had won $6 million. Today in 1984, The World's Most Valuable 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. The more Chappelle buys, the more the town does what he wants, Step off, Margot Robbie. 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. All rights reserved. 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]! Cunningham gave Penzo a tip of $142,857.50 a year for twenty years.