SACRAMENTO – This week on The Big Spin show, four contestants won a total of $1,170,000. The show aired statewide Saturday, December 22, 2007; the grand total won this week was $1,192,500!
Ramon Hernandez Romano, a truck driver from Los Angeles, outplayed nine other contestants in Aces High to get to the Big Spin wheel. Romano won $1,000,000! He 
plans to show off his Christmas spirit by helping the poor and by helping his 2 daughters, one of whom is due with his 5th grandchild any day now! Juan Barrera, a drywall contractor from Indio, was the big winner on the Fantasy 5 Dream Machine, he won $65,000! Barerra says his family will have a nicer Christmas because of his prize. Jose Ruiz, a caterer from Los Angeles, also played the Dream Machine and walked away with $55,000. He is now planning a vacation to the Bahamas. The final Dream Machine player was George Barry, a retiree from San Diego. Barry has been married 52 years and says the secret to a long and happy marriage is simple, “Just be nice to each other,” he explained. He plans on taking his wife on a trip to Niagara Falls, which is where they honeymooned 52 years ago!
Winner’s Summary
| Ramon Hernandez Romano |
Los Angeles |
$1,000,000 |
| Juan Barrera |
Indio |
$65,000 |
| Jose Ruiz |
Los Angeles |
$55,000 |
| George Barry |
San Diego |
$50,000 |
| Douglas Henley |
Victorville |
$5,000 |
| Maria Mendoza |
Richmond |
$4,000 |
| Silvia Fonseca |
Corona |
$2,500 |
| Lee Xiong |
Fresno |
$2,000 |
| Ana Cardenas |
Los Angeles |
$2,000 |
| Willie MacMillian |
Van Nuys |
$1,750 |
| Luis Ocampo Rios |
Riverside |
$1,750 |
| Jesus Macias-Hernandez |
Fresno |
$1,750 |
| Noe Cruz |
Burbank |
$1,750 |
| |
TOTAL |
$1,192,500 |
For high resolution copies of photos of Ramon Hernandez Romano, Juan Barrera, Jose Ruiz or George Barry please contact Olga Gallardo in the Corporate Communications Office or e-mail ogallardo@calottery.com.
Over 95 cents of every Lottery dollar is returned to the community in the form of contributions to education, prizes and retail commissions. The California Lottery contributes at least 34 cents of every dollar that players spend on Lottery products to public education and returns more than 50 percent of sales to players in the form of prizes. Since its inception in 1985, the Lottery has contributed more than $19.6 billion to California schools out of total sales of more than $53.25 billion. Retailers win too, earning $3.4 billion in compensation since 1985.