Monday, Feb. 26, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.
The two $100 racks were empty, save for four silver dollars -- enough for one last pull.
Patrick Ely, 28, of El Cajon, Calif., near San Diego, fed three of them into a Megabucks slot machine about 5 p.m. Sunday at the Luxor hotel-casino and he lined up four jackpot symbols.
Ely won $6,025,201. He will receive $241,000 every year for 25 years.
"I had started with $200 and I had exactly one dollar left when I hit it," Ely said.
At first, Ely, a senior engineering technician for General Instruments, wasn't sure he had hit the jackpot.
"As I was playing, I was talking to this gentleman playing the machine next to me, and suddenly he pointed to my machine, and I noticed I had lined up all four Megabucks signs."
Sunday evening, he was waiting to give the good news to his wife, Divina, a vocational nurse at a San Diego nursing home.
"She doesn't even know yet. She's out shopping," Ely said.
Today, both of their employers were expected to receive the news that Mr. and Mrs. Ely are retired.
The couple drove to Las Vegas from San Diego Saturday, and had planned on leaving Sunday evening.
But sudden fortunes have a way of forcing sudden changes in plans.
Ely said he and his wife probably will stay in Las Vegas through the early part of the week as guests of the hotel.
What does Ely plan to do with the money?
"I'm going to invest it to make sure I never have to work again," he replied.
And how does he like Las Vegas?
"I like Las Vegas a lot," he replied.
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